Stray Arrows
by BT Sing
Summary: Three ANBU hopefuls receive a mission to escort a defector from the Earth Country, but when disaster strikes and a member vanishes, mystery and darkness surround his return to Konoha two years later. [A side story in the Naruto Universe] Mostly OCs...
1. Chapter 1: Rookies

**A/N: This is my first Naruto fic, so please forgive any inaccuracy on my part with regards to using honorifics or the scattered bits of Japanese (mostly jutsu names). I had a few basic ideas for a NaruSaku fic as well as a Neji/Tenten fic, but ultimately couldn't get anything going. I know fics with OCs aren't usually popular, but this idea was really picking at my brain, so if you were wondering why I chose to write what's basically a side story - mostly original characters and a few major/minor characters - that would be the reason. Plus, the story takes place during the time skip, so Naruto and Sasuke are away from Konoha - Tsunade, Sakura, and a few of the other Rookie Nine will have some major/minor roles later on, though...Anyway, enjoy, and please feel free to leave reviews. I've got several ideas where to take the story if the interest is there.**

**Eventual spoilers for those not caught up with the current manga**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters/places/etc...the OCs are, to the best of my knowledge,unique to me... **

**EDIT: (12/9) I changed a few things around structure-wise to make the chapter a little less formulaic - as always, please leave reviews if you have something to say, whether it's good or bad**

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**CHAPTER 1**

**"ROOKIES" **

"Damn it…" an exhausted boy lamented. "Missed..."

His gentle gasps for air quickly quieted as he reached carefully behind his head until he felt the thin piece of maple wood between his fingertips. Focusing what little chakra he had left, he closed his eyes briefly and concentrated.

"Katsugan (_Keen Eye_)."

A glowing blue aura enveloped the iris in each eye just as the sun crept over the horizon, it's golden glow radiating throughout the Hidden Village of Konoha. The shadows of twilight vanished as the sunlight filtered slowly over the village gates, illuminating the faces of the four Hokages forever etched upon the towering rocky monument overlooking the town. Most of the residents, with the exception of a few guards at the walls surrounding the village, were nestled at home in their beds. It was a rare thing in Konoha these days, the quiet. A pair of birds aimlessly fluttered around, enjoying the calm of the early morning, until the faint twang of a bowstring and the distant echo of steel piercing the bark of a tree shattered the silence.

Amidst the dew-soaked grass in a small open field along the western wall, sweat pouring from his brow, stood Zuboshi Takeo. As the morning sun caressed his tired body, the silhouette of his lean muscular form appeared on the ground behind him. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the metal plate affixed to the black fingerless glove on his hand as he raised it to block the brightness, showing his soft brown eyes as the bluish tint from the chakra faded. His medium-length brown hair was still untidily kept; a few locks were matted to his forehead and dangling over his eyes, while the rest swept around the side and back of his head. He quickly ran his hand through the wavy mess as he went to retrieve his arrows from the tree fifty yards ahead of him. A gentle breeze blew a few wisps back across his slightly rounded face as he plucked an arrow from its target and slid it back into the tan leather quiver on his back. He lightly tossed his sturdy oaken bow, still clutched in his matching gloved left hand, to the soil.

"Quarter of an inch to the left…again…" Takeo sighed, rubbing the frayed tree bark with his calloused index finger. "Damn it."

Exhausted, Takeo slid gingerly to the grass beneath the tree. He grabbed the Konoha forehead protector fastened on the strap for his quiver, lifted it over his head and left shoulder, and laid the leather pouch full of arrows carefully next to his bow. He unzipped his heavy dark green flak jacket, customary attire for a Konoha Chuunin, and tugged at the black sleeveless shirt beneath it. He closed his eyes briefly, the serenity and warmth of daybreak seducing him into falling asleep. His mind began to wander, drifting aimlessly through the darkness behind his tired eyes.

"Takeo!"

Startled from his brief slumber by a stern familiar voice, Takeo lifted his weary head and waited for the hazy figure to come into focus.

"Slacking off again, I see," the voice criticized. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…"

His eyes mostly awake, Takeo recognized the brawny man in front of him. The grayed short hair…the piercing green eyes…and the noticeable scar running up his tanned cheek….

"Dad," Takeo chuckled. "Yeah, you know me."

Takeo stood up, stretching his arms high and then down, running his hands along his black pants and the white tape wrapped around his lower legs and ankles. He slipped his feet back into his black Konoha style sandals, and met his father's gaze as he stepped next to him, shoulder to shoulder.

"How long were you watching?" Takeo asked as he bent over to gather his equipment.

"Humph!" his father smirked, snatching Takeo's bow from his hand. "Long enough to see that you're still not keeping your elbow tight and centered. How many times have I told you that balance is-"

"Is the key to accuracy," Takeo finished sarcastically. "Only everyday for the last ten years."

"Then one would think I wouldn't have to repeat it anymore," his father retorted.

"But that would deprive me of the advice from Keigo, legendary ANBU archer and squad commander," Takeo replied with a grin.

His father glared at him and shook his head, before smiling and wrapping an arm around Takeo's neck.

"If you listened to the great Keigo's advice, then perhaps one day people will be singing the praise of the great Takeo," he said with a laugh. "Come. Your mother sent me to bring you home for breakfast. She's prepared something special in honor of your big day."

"She didn't have to that," Takeo replied, slinging his quiver over his left shoulder. "She works long hours and deserves to sleep in once and a while."

"Yes," Keigo sighed. "You know your mother, though. She can't enjoy a moment to herself without thinking of her family first. Besides, it's a special occasion – she'd kill me if I let her miss it."

"Right, right," Takeo relented.

Dawn had come and gone by the time Takeo and his father stepped inside their home. Though still early in the morning, the familiar sounds of pots clanging, knives chopping, and voices chattering resonated inside the small yet comfortable house. The delectable aroma of eggs, steaming rice, and miso tickled at Takeo's nose. Both he and Keigo smiled at one another before heading into the kitchen. Busily working at the stove, the slim, raven-haired woman turned at the sound of the pair of heavy footsteps entering the room and smiled tenderly.

"Takeo," she greeted. "I see your father finally found you."

"Eventually," Keigo replied with a grin. "Can't have him leaving to receive his first ANBU mission on an empty stomach. Everything smells delicious."

Keigo swiftly kissed his wife on her forehead as he stepped past her into the dining area. Takeo couldn't help notice his mother blush slightly. He had to smile. They'd been married nearly twenty years, yet he frequently caught them acting as if they were on their first date.

"Everything will be ready in a few minutes, Takeo," his mother said. "Shinji should be here with the tea any moment."

"Eh?" Takeo muttered, sneaking a spoonful of the miso soup.

On cue, a stocky boy slowly marched into the kitchen, proudly holding a tray with several teacups and a large ceramic teapot.

"I finished the tea, Hakumi-san," he stated, his rounded face beaming with pride, yet obviously exhausted.

"Yo, Shinji-kun," Takeo smiled as he playfully messed up the boy's carefully brushed blonde hair.

"Takeo nii-san!" Shinji exclaimed, nearly dropping his tray.

Shinji hurriedly set the tea down on the nearby countertop and raced back to Takeo, who was still sampling parts of his breakfast feast.

"Are you excited, Takeo?" Shinji eagerly asked. "Your first mission as an ANBU member is today right? What do you think it'll be? I bet it's something top-secret and classified and-"

"Settle down, Shinji-kun," Takeo interjected, folding his arms across his chest. "It's only my first mission; I doubt Hokage-sama will give us anything too dangerous or exciting."

Shinji looked down at the ground, a look of disappointment across his face.

"I should hope so," Hakumi sighed as she began plating all of the food.

"But even if she did," Takeo continued, "I couldn't tell you anyway. It'd be top-secret, right?"

Takeo winked as Shinji nodded in agreement.

"Takeo, you and Shinji-kun should join your father at the table," Hakumi said. "I'll bring the food in just a minute."

"Yosh!" the two replied in unison.

Takeo and Shinji took their seats across from Keigo along the cherry-colored table. His father busily studied the scrolls he had unrolled upon it, while Shinji continued to assault Takeo with questions. He politely obliged the youth's inquiries, nodding and smiling on occasion. Takeo fidgeted with the deep red band of cloth tied around his left bicep.

"Where's Toshiji-san?" he asked, halting Shinji's inquisition.

"Eh?" responded Shinji. "Dad? He's working guard duty again this morning."

"Sorry," Takeo said, catching Shinji's depressed expression. "So how are things at the Academy?

Shinji's face brightened to that question and immediately began regaling Takeo with events from the preceding week.

"And sensei said that if I keep training and studying, I should be able to pass the final exam next year," Shinji exclaimed. "You were almost twelve when you graduated, right Takeo nii-san?"

"That's right," Keigo answered, without bothering to look up from his scrolls. "Hard to believe six years have passed since Takeo first became a Genin. Quite an interesting journey you've had, eh?"

"I guess," Takeo muttered, slightly annoyed at his father's tone.

"Breakfast is served," Hakumi announced cheerily as she set down several dishes and bowls.

She took her seat next to her husband and the four of them took a moment to appreciate the large meal she had prepared. A large bowl of steamed rice sat in the middle of the table surrounded by freshly made miso soup, rolled omelets, and a mouth-watering assortment of fresh fruits. They glanced at one another before nodding.

"Itadakimasu."

As Hakumi took Shinji's plate and began portioning out some rice, Takeo took a moment to enjoy the normalcy that the meal brought to their home. Ever since he told his father about wanting to join ANBU, the Zuboshi household had been anything but normal. Keigo had prepared a rigorous exercise schedule for him and had personally made it is his mission to put Takeo through the toughest training he had ever been through. His mother, however, was understandably nervous about her son's decision; Hakumi put on a brave face as she always did, but even Takeo could see past her smiling façade. So it was a breath of fresh air for him to see his family truly enjoying themselves.

"Takeo?" Hakumi repeated cheerfully.

"Eh?" Takeo said, waking from his momentary daze.

"Your plate."

"Oh, right…thanks," he nodded with embarrassment.

After his mother placed an omelet atop the bed of rice on his plate and returned it to its rightful spot in front of him on the table, Takeo eagerly picked up his chopsticks. But before he could manage to grab a simple grain of rice, a loud, boisterous greeting accompanied a gentle knock on the door.

"Yo, Noppo (_string bean_)!" a deep voice called gleefully. "You awake yet?"

Takeo's head dropped in embarrassment and frustration as Keigo, Hakumi, and even Shinji glanced at him.

"Sorry," Takeo said, rising and turning towards the front door.

He swore under his breath as he quickly paced to the door, exhaling loudly as he violently pulled it open. "If I hadn't been awake I would be now, and so would everyone else in the house."

"Relax, Noppo. Hakumi-san said you would all be up anyway."

Rolling his eyes, Takeo reluctantly stepped to the side as the large youth entered his home. Kazumo Kintarou, though only a year older than Takeo, was nearly twice his size, standing a few inches taller and carrying a lot more weight. His Chuunin flak jacket that he wore over a navy t-shirt only enhanced his upper body width. As Kintarou regularly pointed out, however, most of his girth was muscle. And after Takeo had grudgingly fought him hand-to-hand, his bruised and battered arms and legs could attest to it. Kintarou slipped off his navy Konoha sandals. Even with his overly baggy navy pants, he could have been the fiercest Chuunin Takeo had ever seen if not for his small oval-shaped head with short spiky black hair, upon which the goofiest face constantly grinned. A small pointed nose protrudes just above his wide mouth and chin, which is covered in a fuzzy black goatee. Yawning, Kintarou rubbed his goatee with one of his taped up hands.

"What are doing here this early?" Takeo asked, swiftly closing the door with his hand.

"Hey!"

The door flew back open, knocking over a few scraps of paper, an old jacket that had been left hanging on the wall, and Takeo, who sat exasperatingly on the floor rubbing the bump on his forehead.

"Honestly," a soft yet gentle feminine voice chided. "Where are your manners, Noppo?"

"I don't know, Kaori," Takeo mumbled sarcastically. "Maybe you knocked them out of me again."

"I'm sorry, did you say something, _Noppo_?" Kaori responded, agitating Takeo with her emphasis on Noppo.

"Honestly, it's bad enough Kintarou still calls me that," Takeo said, standing up and gathering the items that had blown to the floor. "I guess I expected more from a beautiful and charming kunoichi such as yourself…"

Takeo smiled as he saw Kaori's face twitch with anger. Although he and Kintarou had come to enjoy teasing her, there was no denying Hirashi Kaori was one of the prettiest female shinobi in Konoha. Her shoulder-length sandy blonde hair flowed softly down her head, except for the two tightly spiraled braids from her temples that hung just below her cheeks. Her sparkling blue eyes, cute upturned nose, and thin-lipped smile accentuated her lightly tanned face, and combined with her slim yet curvy figure, made it nearly impossible for any boy to deny a request from her. And Kaori was well aware of that fact, flaunting her "assets" by wearing a snug-fitting short sleeveless white robe with a loose fitting slit navy skirt that unevenly flowed down her legs, the longer side touching the top of her black toeless boots below her right knee and the shorter just above her left thigh. It didn't take long for Takeo or Kintarou to learn this fact either. When they had first been assigned to work together during the recent Chuunin Exam, Kaori had somehow used her wiles to convince them both to fill-in at her family's restaurant while she spent the day training. Neither one had ever figured out how she managed to trick them.

"Hmph," Kaori scowled. "Fine, _Takeo_-_kun_…I won't call you Noppo anymore. Maybe I shouldn't speak to you at all…"

Kaori forcefully marched past Takeo and a grinning Kintarou into the dining area.

"Fine," he replied, knowing she probably couldn't hear him.

Takeo sighed, turning back to Kintarou.

"So why are you here so early?"

"Oh, right," Kintarou began. "Hakumi-san and Keigo-sama invited us to join your family for breakfast. They said it would be a good idea for us to get to know each other better since Kaori-san and I are a part of your team."

"We've worked together many times before," Takeo remarked. "Why not invite you two over before now?"

"This is different," Kintarou stated. "ANBU missions are nothing like the ranked missions we're used to getting. Not only are our lives on the line, but the safety of Hokage-sama and the entire village as well. Wouldn't you like to get know the people responsible for your son's life and the lives of the people here in Konoha better?"

Takeo couldn't argue with that logic. He had forgotten how rational and insightful Kintarou could be.

"Are those egg omelets I smell?" Kintarou wondered with delight.

Before Takeo could answer, Kintarou had already followed the aroma into the dining area, where Takeo quickly found everyone enjoying the delicious meal his mother has prepared. He noticed that Kaori had taken his seat next to Shinji, who was obviously having trouble staying calm around a beautiful girl. Takeo chuckled as he made room at the end of the table.

"What's so funny?" Kaori inquired.

"Hmm…ah, nothing, Kaori," Takeo replied.

"Kaori-_san_" she swiftly corrected him with a smirk.

"I thought you weren't talking to me anyway, _Kaori-san_," Takeo happily snapped back.

"I-I'm not," huffed Kaori, as she quickly turned and began conversing with Hakumi across the table.

Takeo smiled victoriously as he filled another plate for himself.

"Honestly," Keigo sighed.

Despite the interruptions, everyone eventually settled in and began enjoying the meal. Kintarou spent much of it talking with Keigo about his ANBU days, to the point where Takeo noticed his father becoming increasingly irritated. Kaori, meanwhile, was quietly having a long chat with Hakumi over something Takeo couldn't quite make out, though he guessed that was probably a good thing. With Shinji busy stuffing the last of an omelet into his mouth, Takeo found himself silently gazing around the room. He watched as his father politely gave Kintarou advice on becoming a squad leader. He nodded back at Kintarou, who had acknowledged him briefly before turning his full attention back to Keigo. Takeo started to rise, but stopped when cheerful laughter flowed from Kaori's side of the table. He watched for a moment as she and his mother shared what was obviously a pleasant moment. He met Kaori's brief glance with his own, and tried to suppress a smile as she gave him a condescending look before turning her head away from him. Takeo stared for a moment as her hair bounced softly around her neck, then quickly caught himself and continued gathering up his plate to take into the kitchen.

By the time he had finished rinsing his off, Hakumi entered the cozy kitchen carrying the rest of the plates. Despite several offers, she wouldn't allow Takeo to help her clean them, so reluctantly he headed back to meet with the others.

"Takeo nii-san," Shinji exclaimed, quickly rushing over beside him. "Kintarou-san was telling us about the time you guys caught the family of pickpockets in Wave Country. Is it true you really took out all eight of them in one shot?"

"Hmm?" Takeo replied. "Well, yeah, I suppose that's true, but Kaori deserves the credit for drawing them out as the decoy; and it was Kintarou's plan anyway. All I had to do was not screw up."

Kintarou proudly accepted Takeo's praise, grinning widely and scratching his goatee. Kaori looked taken aback for a moment, before nodding happily in agreement.

"It was a team effort," she added. "Like all successful missions, every member has a role to fill, Shinji-kun."

"Speaking of which," Kintarou interjected. "We should probably leave now if we want to receive our mission. It's important to arrive a little early if possible."

"Yeah, you're right," Takeo concurred.

Takeo turned to his father, who already had his gear ready for him.

"Everything should be set," he said, handing it all over to Takeo's waiting arms.

"Thanks," Takeo replied, slinging his quiver over his head and left shoulder. "Guess that's it, then."

"Be careful, Takeo," Hakumi called, walking in from the kitchen. "You too, Kaori and Kintarou…you three look out for each other."

"We will Hakumi-san," Kintarou affirmed. "Thank you for your hospitality this morning."

"Yes, thank you," Kaori echoed. "We'll be fine. I promise."

Takeo started to reply, but was cut off by his mother's embrace. He instinctively hugged her back.

"I'll be okay," he said.

Keigo smiled proudly as Hakumi released her grip on her son, and drew her in close with one arm as he waved goodbye with the other. As Takeo and his teammates headed outside, Shinji exuberantly cheered him on from the doorway in front of his parents. A sigh of relief escaped Takeo's lips as he, Kaori, and Kintarou took their first steps on the road to ANBU.


	2. Chapter 2: Entrance Exam

**A/N: So here's chapter two...yeah, there's a lot of dialogue. There'll be more action next chapter. I basically wanted to set up the characters and get some of their inner workings across.**

**KC Evans: I searched for awhile for ANBU info, but couldn't find anything conclusive about family being knowledgable about loved ones in ANBU. I was simply going by the brief flashbacks in Naruto when Itachi is known to be in ANBU by his family. So far I've kept it strickly family only and up to the individual as to who if anyone knows. If someone has definitive info one way or the other, let me know.**

**Lady Kagome0101: I changed the title in case it was confusing. The story is a "side story" in the Naruto universe, not directly about Naruto. He and other main characters will make several appearances, either to set up wherethe story takes place in the Naruto timeline or just to add some familiarity, but the story primarily revolves around original characters. Sorry if that disappoints you.**

**Anyway, enjoy:**

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**Chapter 2**

"**Entrance Exam"**

"This is it, isn't it?" Kaori contemplated aloud.

"Yeah," Takeo nonchalantly replied. "Nervous?"

"No way," Kaori emphatically answered.

"You should be, Kaori-san," Kintarou grinned. "There's a reason not everyone wants to become a member of ANBU."

"I'm well aware of that, Kintarou-kun," Kaori retorted. "Most shinobi can't handle the stress or the danger of the job. I don't need you or anyone else to remind me."

She confidently marched forward alongside Takeo and an oddly silent Kintarou as they made the short trek to see the Hokage. After the pleasant meal at Takeo's home, the three hopeful rookies had shaken most of their nerves and were weaving in and out among the morning traffic of shinobi and village residents that congested the streets. Konoha was now wide-awake and the commotion of the midmorning was somehow settling to the anxious group. The three began glancing around, taking in the simplistic and carefree atmosphere that filled the heart of the village. Takeo found himself thinking back to his parents awaiting him at home. A group of Academy students playing nearby distracted him, and he found himself staring at the trio enjoying their game.

"Your little brother was really sweet, Takeo-kun," Kaori commented, noticing Takeo's fascination with the kids.

"Hm? Oh, you mean Shinji-kun?" Takeo responded. "He's not my brother."

"But-"

"He calls me nii-san?" Takeo finished. "Yeah, he's called me that since we were both kids. I was probably his age when he and his dad moved in next door. Don't exactly remember when he started following me around, but he hung around our house so much my mother basically made him part of the family."

"So is that why you told him about joining ANBU?" Kintarou chimed in. "Only immediate family members are usually allowed to know."

"Which is why I didn't tell him," Takeo replied. "But, Shinji-kun has a knack for listening in on less-than-public conversations."

Kintarou chuckled softly. "I see. I wonder where he could have picked up that bad habit."

"Eh? You're not still mad about that are you? That happened over two weeks ago," Takeo stated.

"What happened two weeks ago?" Kaori asked with intrigue.

"Nothing," Takeo sighed.

"Well, we were on a four member team on a mission to…." Kintarou began.

Takeo relented and paced ahead out of listening range of the others, looking back briefly after hearing Kaori's mocking laughter and Kintarou's heavy sigh of exasperation.

"Remind me to never have any private conversations with you in the room," Kaori snickered as she brushed passed him.

"Duly noted," Takeo muttered.

Kintarou gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder as he strode past him and caught up with Kaori. Takeo could care less that his teammates were suddenly quickening their pace and inadvertently leaving him behind. He clasped his hands together behind his head and cradled it as he walked, gazing upwards. The sun was still brightly shining and the few clouds that dotted the early morning sky had all but vanished. Takeo closed his eyes briefly, burning the image into his memory. Whether he was successful on this mission or not, he would try to remember this scene and these feelings. The warmth and tranquility of Konoha and the joy of its inhabitants would always remind him of home, and of his duty. He unknowingly smiled as he slowly lowered his head.

"Ah!"

Before Takeo could react, he felt something plow into his gut. As he gathered himself, a loud groan accompanied the angry voice that began berating him.

"Watch where you're going. You almost made me drop all my gear."

"Eh? I'm sorry," Takeo apologized.

An older man with long white hair stepped out next to the kid Takeo had bumped into.

"Don't worry about it," he smiled. "He's in a bit of a hurry. Naruto, let's keep moving."

"But Ero-sennin, what if he made me smash all my ramen?" Takeo heard the boy exclaim as the two continued past. "I can't go off to train without it"

Takeo watched as the two disappeared into the crowds behind him. He recognized the two from somewhere but couldn't quite place it.

"Yo, Noppo!" came Kintarou's booming voice. "Are you coming or not?"

Takeo nodded and reluctantly raced ahead to join the others. By the time he caught up to them, they were standing outside the Hokage's. With a quick glance at one another, the three headed towards the door. After identifying themselves to the pair of Chuunin guards, they hurriedly stepped inside. Winding their way around the stairs, the group came upon the doors to the Hokage's office. Kintarou raised one of his large hands to knock, but a powerful feminine voice stopped him.

"Come in."

With one last nervous sigh, Kintarou opened the twin doors and stepped inside along with Takeo and Kaori. They immediately felt the pair of brown eyes intensely studying them from behind the large desk near the windows. Kintarou stood proudly at attention as Kaori anxiously fidgeted with her hands behind her back. Takeo, meanwhile, looked calmly around the room, noticing the abnormally large selection of medical books and the pink-haired girl in the corner, who was focusing intently on several large scrolls.

"Sakura, will you excuse us for a moment?"

"Yes, Tsunade-shishou."

Takeo and the others watched as she scooped up the scrolls in her arms and quickly darted out of the office.

"So," Tsunade began, placing her elbows on the desk and resting her chin on her clasped hands. "You three think you're ready to become members of ANBU?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," they replied in unison.

Tsunade continued to look them over.

"Hirashi Kaori," she said, focusing on Kaori. "You're an accomplished medical ninja and your reputation with Genjutsu techniques is well documented. However, it will no doubt take more than illusionary tactics to defeat the enemies you may encounter as a member of ANBU. And your medical skills, no matter how great they are, may be useless when your enemy can kill you or your team members in an instant. Perhaps it would be best served if you left ANBU to the real fighters and joined our staff at the hospital. As you may be aware, we are understaffed at the moment and-"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama," Kaori interrupted. "I am not just a medical ninja; and I believe you underestimate the value of my Genjutsu. While I may not be the best fighter one-on-one, in a team situation I am as strong as any other Chuunin."

"Hmph." Tsunade stoically responded. "And, Kazumo Kintarou?"

At the sound of his name, Kintarou grew anxious and eagerly stepped forward.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he answered.

"I see you've accomplished a lot in your brief Chuunin career," she stated. "You've taken quite an active leadership role in many B-rank missions as well as assisting as an examiner for the academy…your Ninjutsu and Taijutsu abilities are top-notch according to your sensei…. It would seem that you are an ideal candidate for entrance into ANBU. Suppose you are accepted. Would you seek a command position?

"Yes," Kintarou emphatically replied.

"And if such a position required you to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the mission, I assume you would have no objection?"

Kintarou nodded.

"And what about your team?" Tsunade inquired, carefully studying Kintarou's expression. "If the mission required that you sacrifice them in order to succeed, would you still accept it without remorse?"

"I would do everything in my power to avoid the death of any team member, regardless of the mission," Kintarou resolved. "But if the ultimate success of the mission depended upon the death of another, there is no thinking required. The deaths of many outweigh the deaths of a few."

"Very well," Tsunade said, turning to the last Chuunin standing before her. "Zuboshi Takeo. Your father's reputation proceeds itself. Keigo is well known among ANBU members and even the most elite shinobi in Konoha. His skill with a bow and arrow and his creativity in the heat of battle is almost legendary. It must be hard standing in his shadow."

Takeo smirked. "He's never stood over me long enough to be caught in it."

"Still," Tsunade continued, suppressing a slight smile. "The comparisons and expectations will be there. How do you expect to live up to them?"

"I don't," Takeo said matter-of-factly. "My father's his own man, just like I aim to be. I have my own goals and expectations to live up to. Anyone else's don't really concern me."

"Very well," Tsunade said, relaxing slightly as she leaned back in her chair. "There's no need to say that you three have the potential to be outstanding ANBU members. I'm sure you recall, however, your Academy graduation; from the many graduating students, only a few became Genin. The same holds true now. Despite the numerous qualified applicants, only a few can be admitted into ANBU service at the moment."

"So we have to take another test?" Kaori asked with chagrin.

"In a way," Tsunade said, tossing a rolled up scroll onto the desk in front of the three. "You were sent here to receive a mission."

Kintarou swiftly snatched the scroll from the desktop before Takeo or Kaori could blink and started to open it.

"So the mission is the test" estimated Takeo.

"Yes," Tsunade confirmed. "Our intelligence has located a man within the Earth Country who has vital knowledge concerning several "organizations of interest", and we have agreed to guide him safely here to Konoha in exchange for that information. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't dare use this A-rank mission as a field examination. However, with our numbers as they are currently, it is the only option."

"We understand, Hokage-sama," Kintarou bowed. "We shall not fail."

Kaori and Takeo followed his example and nodded as they bowed their heads.

"All the details are contained within that scroll," Tsunade said. "Memorize what you need and then burn it. I suggest that you take the rest of the day to make preparations to leave. It's a long journey to the village where the defector lives, so make your plans accordingly."

"Ah, Hokage-sama," Kintarou fervently interjected. "Shouldn't we receive our ANBU equipment, specifically our animal masks? When we become official members, our identities are to be kept hidden, so why shouldn't we hide them now?"

"You will need to travel out of sight and undercover when you enter the Earth Country," Tsunade replied. "Dressing as a member of ANBU will draw too much attention to yourself as you journey."

"Of course," Kintarou quickly nodded in agreement.

Takeo shook his head while Kaori rolled her eyes.

"Very well," Tsunade said as she stood. "You have your mission. Kintarou, as team leader, I expect you to make sure your team and the defector arrive safely back here in Konoha. I wish you luck."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the three replied in unison.

Taking their leave, the three anxiously retraced their steps back to the spiral stairway and paused for a brief moment once they were back outside. Kintarou, beaming with excitement, held the mission scroll tightly in his hand as he wrapped an arm around Kaori and Takeo. Kaori politely smiled back at him as she tried to writhe away from his grasp. Takeo rolled his eyes and made a quick snatch for the scroll. Kintarou pulled his arm back off of Takeo's shoulder to rebuff his attempt, allowing Takeo to easily march away.

"Oi, Noppo," Kintarou yelled. "Where are you going? We need to make plans for the mission as Tsunade-sama advised."

"'I know," Takeo replied without stopping.

"Then where are you going?" Kintarou responded. "I've got the scroll, remember? We're supposed to look over it as a team. And we should decide when and where we wish to depart."

"Sounds like a plan," Takeo said, still walking.

"Get back here, Takeo-kun," Kaori scolded. "We need to hurry and get our strategy together. I have some place I have to be."

Takeo stopped and turned slightly.

"Geez, another date?" he smirked. "You must have a guy lined up every day of the week."

"Oooh…" Kaori grumbled, clenching her fists. "I have to be home to help my parents at the restaurant. I would never put off my duty as a shinobi for some boy. And, my personal life is none of your business, Takeo-kun. If I want to go on a date every night until I've gone out with every single boy in this village, that's my own business!"

"Right, right," Takeo nodded teasingly. "But before you get around to me on your dating wheel, I'm heading back home."

Kaori glared at Takeo's half-grinning face.

"Like I would ever," she mumbled.

"Kintarou," Takeo began. "You're the team leader, so you hang on to the scroll. We can meet up at the gates tomorrow morning at sunrise, read the scroll together when fewer people are out and awake, and then head out."

"Uh…yes…that should work," Kintarou replied, taken aback by Takeo's rational thoughts.

"Great," Takeo smiled. "See you guys tomorrow then."

"Right. Later, Noppo," Kintarou waved before turning to Kaori. "Kaori-san, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Kintarou-kun," Kaori replied, turning to leave as well. "Bye, _Noppo_!"

"See you at sunrise, Kaori," Takeo chuckled. "Sorry for teasing you. You know I won't hold you to it."

Kaori laughed quietly as she smiled and waved goodbye.

"Though Kintarou might," he grinned.

"If Kaori-san wishes a date with me, I would have no choice but to accept," Kintarou politely responded.

"I'll keep it in mind, Kintarou-kun," Kaori giggled as she watched Takeo leaving. "See you at sunrise."

"Right," Kintarou affirmed.

Kintarou sauntered off towards his home, the scroll still securely in his grasp. Kaori stayed a moment longer, her mind momentarily lost in thought. The soft glint in her blue eyes soon faded as she quickly remembered she needed to be home. She ran off, her shadow bouncing along with her under the midday sun. The center of town had become very congested while she and her team were at the Hokage's. Only a few blocks from home, Kaori found herself weaving through the tightly packed traffic around the market place. It was easier traveling through this mess with Kintarou and Takeo. They could push through the crowd easily, especially Kintarou. Alone, though, Kaori found it difficult to manage. She'd never admit it, but those two also helped stave off advances from eager shinobi wanting to talk her into a date. Now, though, she could feel several pairs of eyes following her.

"Kaori-san," a nasally male voice called.

Kaori started quickening her pace and glancing over her shoulder. However, she failed to see the pony-tailed shinobi running towards her, and dropped her shoulders in frustration as he greeted her face to face.

"Ah, Kaori-san," he sighed, stopping a few feet away. "I've been looking for you."

"Hi, Yamaki-kun," Kaori forcibly smiled.

"I just finished an A-rank mission," he proudly stated, ignoring her greeting. "With the fee I got, I figured we could go out somewhere special and celebrate. Perhaps we could even train together. I'm sure there's a lot a Jounin such as myself can teach you."

"Ah, that's really nice of you, but I can't today," Kaori declined.

"Come on, Kaori-san," Yamaki prodded, reaching a hand towards her arm.

"I really can't," Kaori sternly repeated, swatting away his hand.

"Kaori!"

Both Kaori and her eager pursuer turned at the beautiful woman walking towards them. Her blonde hair danced lightly across her shoulders and neck as the long single braid from the rear of her head bounced gently against the small of her back. Yamaki's mouth hung wide open as the curvy kunoichi stopped beside them.

"Kira," Kaori gratefully smiled.

"Sorry, Yamaki-kun," Kira said, taking a hold of Kaori's arm. "We need her at home."

Yamaki was speechless as the two girls ran off down the street. When they finally stopped outside a large restaurant, they gave one another a playful smile.

"Thanks," Kaori said.

"No problem," Kira replied. "I wish I'd had a sister to do that for me when I was your age."

"Yes, we're all aware of the hardships you faced," Kaori replied sarcastically. "But no one bothers you since you got engaged to Hideo-san."

"True," Kira nodded with happiness. "See, you can just find someone to marry and no boy will bother you again."

"Hmph," Kaori mumbled, crossing her arms. "I'm far too busy and involved with my training for that."

"Whatever," Kira shrugged. "Then maybe you should try telling Yamaki and the others you're not interested. It would save me the trouble of having to rescue you all the time."

"I can't do that," Kaori shyly replied. "I don't want to hurt their feelings, or scar them after turning them down…I know what that feels like…"

"Kaori," Kira frowned. "Is that why you keep accepting so many invitations? I understand you don't want to make them feel bad, but leading them on if you're not serious is only going to make their pain eventually worse."

Kaori didn't say anything as she stood twirling one of her braids around her fingers.

"Anyway, when do you leave for your ANBU mission?"

"Hush!" Kaori said quickly. "Mom and Dad don't know about that remember."

"I know," Kira responded. "They're both in the kitchen, anyway. Although why you'd tell me and not them is beyond me."

"They would worry too much," Kaori confessed. "They aren't shinobi, so the danger and stuff involved would be too much, you know."

"If you say so," Kira replied. "It's your decision. So when do you leave?"

"Sunrise," she answered.

"That early, huh?" Kira frowned. "I have to go back to the Academy. If I don't see you tonight, then good luck tomorrow."

"Thank you," Kaori nodded.

Kaori stood and watched Kira quickly walk off and around the corner. She smiled genuinely for perhaps one of the few times all day before she went inside the restaurant. As she entered, Kintarou happily bounded down the street a block away, still gripping the team's mission scroll. When he arrived at a large green apartment complex, he quickly turned and headed inside a small first floor residence.

"Mom, I'm home!"

"Who would miss you coming in?" a small, portly woman laughed. "Welcome back."

She wrapped her arms around Kintarou's midsection and hugged him tightly.

"So?" she asked as she released him.

"We leave tomorrow morning," Kintarou smiled. "It's finally time. Oh, and guess what. I'm team leader."

"That's great," his mother replied.

"Yeah," Kintarou sighed, looking sullenly at the floor. "Father would have been proud of me today. I'm almost in ANBU, something he never got to do."

"Wherever he is," his mother began, "I'm sure he's glad to see you've come so far. You were only two when he died, but you remind me so much of Kenta."

Kintarou smiled proudly, staring at the old picture in the faded wooden frame on the corner table. His mother smiled happily in front of a large muscular man, who held a small infant in his arms. The baby's tiny hands clutched tightly to the thick black beard masking the man's cheeks and chin.

"I'll make him proud," Kintarou vowed, clenching a fist. "I will become an ANBU squad leader and live up to his name."

"Just come home safely," his mother added with concern.

Kintarou looked confidently into his mother's weary green eyes and stared at the woman who had raised him alone for seventeen years.

"I promise."

Hours later, lying beneath the moonlight atop the roof of his family's small house, Takeo thoughtfully gazed out across the night sky. His mind kept wandering through different scenarios for the mission that awaited him at dawn. After all the training and hard work, he was so close to achieving his goal of entering ANBU service. But now that dream was in question. His goal, and the goals of his teammates, depended on the success of a mission they knew nothing about. He wished now that they had opened the mission scroll earlier as Kintarou had suggested.

"Wonder if Kaori and Kintarou are having trouble sleeping?" he muttered to himself.

"I'm sure they are," a voice answered.

Takeo glanced over to see the dimly lit face of his father.

"It's normal to be anxious," Keigo continued. "Whether it's your first mission or your hundredth, there's something wrong if you aren't a little nervous."

"Yeah, but this mission is-"

"I don't need to know, Takeo," Keigo stopped him. "While I may be cleared to know about you, Kintarou, and Kaori being involved in ANBU, everything else regarding your mission is between you, your teammates, and Tsunade-sama. Whatever it is, just believe that you'll do your best. Protect your team and protect yourself, Takeo. Above all, protect the security of the mission and succeed, whatever the job may be."

Takeo thankfully nodded and took in his father's words. A cool breeze gently brushed a few brown locks of hair over his eyes. Sweeping them aside with a hand, he slowly sat up and rested his arms across his drawn in knees.

"We're leaving at sunrise," Takeo informed his father. "Mom doesn't know that, so…"

"I'll tell her you said goodbye," Keigo smiled.

"Actually," Takeo replied, staring out across the darkened village. "Tell her I said I'll see her soon."

Keigo nodded, proudly looking at his son.

"You'd better get some rest," he suggested. "You've obviously got a difficult day ahead."

"Yeah," Takeo echoed. "Thanks, Dad."

Takeo continued to look out over the moonlit walls and rooftops spread out in front of him, oblivious to his father turning to leave. Keigo was thankful the shadow of night made it difficult to see. He quickly brushed a hand against his cheek, wiping away the tear that had fallen. His son had never seen him cry before. He swiftly hopped down and quietly went inside their home. Hearing the sound of Keigo opening the door jarred Takeo from his daze. After debating it with himself, he finally relented and stood up, walked to the edge of the roof, and leapt to the ground. He grasped the door handle and pulled open the door, feeling the gush of warm air escape from inside the house. Takeo paused once again to stare out across the star-speckled ebony sky before stepping inside, letting the door gently slam shut.


	3. Chapter 3: Leaving

**A/N: I said there'd be more action, but unfortunately it'll have to wait til next chapter. I realized that the first two were fairly long, so rather than update with an even longer chapter, I decided to sort of split it into two smaller bits. If you think the shorter chapters work better, let me know.I can easily revise things. And as always, feedback is appreciated, both good and bad.**

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**Chapter 3**

"**Leaving"**

Night had come and gone quickly, giving way to another peaceful dawn in Konoha. Though thin gray clouds veiled most of the morning sky, the radiant glow from the sun as it rose from the horizon brightened the village just enough for a feint shadow to slowly appear beside the large youth waiting at Konoha's gates. Anxiously pacing back and forth between the walls at the village entrance, Kintarou muttered to himself every so often. It was sunrise, the time when Takeo had suggested the three of them meet before leaving on their mission. Yet as Kintarou glanced eastward to see the sun just peeking above the high stone walls, he grew angry and impatient at his absent teammates. The mission scroll he held tightly in his hand quickly crumpled as he clenched his fists in frustration. This wasn't how he planned to start his first ANBU mission, though technically it wasn't an official ANBU job. But he knew that didn't matter. He was team leader; he was responsible to make sure the mission was carried out, and yet he couldn't even get his team to simply meet together.

"I knew I should have been more forceful," he muttered to himself. "I should have made the decisions about when and where we meet. That's my responsibility and I let Takeo just brush it aside."

As Kintarou's nervous pace quickened, a familiar figure appeared on the path from the center of town. Kintarou caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye.

"Kaori-san!" he happily greeted her. "I was getting worried."

"Sorry to make you two wait," Kaori apologized as she ran. "My parents heard me leaving and I had to explain why I had a mission so early in the morning. They don't know about ANBU yet, so it took me awhile to straighten things out. I hope I didn't hold us up too long. It's just…wait, where's Takeo-kun?"

Kintarou sighed. "Noppo hasn't come yet. And I'm sure his reasons for being late aren't as understandable as yours, Kaori-san."

"Hmph," Kaori mumbled, crossing her arms. "Baka…why am I not surprised he's late. I know he's laid back about everything, but I thought he'd at least take this seriously. I should have known better."

"It does appear you assumed too much," Kintarou replied. "I knew I should have stopped by his house to wait for him."

Kaori frustratingly tapped her foot on the ground as Kintarou took a few steps towards her.

"I'm glad I can at least count on you, Kaori-san," Kintarou smiled.

"I'm insulted," a voice called out from above.

"Eh?" Kintarou said as both he and Kaori turned their heads up.

"It's nice to see you guys have so much faith in me," Takeo smiled, sitting with his legs dangling over the side of the wall, just a few feet away from the top of the gate.

"Takeo-kun!" Kaori angrily yelled. "Where have you…how long have you been up there?"

"About five minutes longer than Kintarou's been wearing a path in the grass here," he replied, gracefully hopping down to the dusty road in front of the gate.

"You've been here the whole time?" Kintarou exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I assumed our brilliant team leader would have sensed I was up there," Takeo quipped. "Guess _I_ assumed too much."

A noticeably irked Kintarou shook his head, while Kaori began to berate their bothersome teammate.

"Hey, I was on time," Takeo said, defending himself from Kaori's verbal onslaught. "Don't get angry at me because you were late."

"You heard my reasons for that," Kaori began, before loud bellowing laughter stopped her.

She and Takeo glanced at one another before looking over to see Kintarou, laughing hysterically. The two exchanged confused looks.

"Oi, Kintarou, you okay?" Takeo inquired.

"I-I'm fine," he managed to reply. "Thanks, Noppo. You're right; I should have noticed you were up there. I guess I was a bit too nervous for my own good. But I'm ready to go now. Let's check this scroll and then head out. Anyone around?

Kaori smiled as Takeo nodded.

"Give me a sec," Takeo replied, focusing for a moment.

Closing his eyes, Takeo concentrated his mind on feeling the chakra flow within him. As he had done many times before, he let it build and materialize within his eyes.

"Katsugan."

The influx of chakra into his eyes and retinas intensified the clarity and range of Takeo's vision. The leaves that rustled in the breeze, the insects that dug into the earth, the shadows that moved in front of him, Takeo could see them all. A bird hopped swiftly along the ground some hundred feet in the distance, thrusting its deadly beak into the soil in search of breakfast. The bits of dirt and debris stuck in its white feathers revealed it had been on the hunt for sometime. After a few more seconds of scanning, Takeo relaxed.

"Anything?" Kintarou asked.

"Nope, all clear," Takeo replied, the bluish tint in his eyes fading.

Kintarou, Takeo, and Kaori gathered around the scroll, which Kintarou carefully unrolled and held open so each of them could read the contents.

_The defector is a man named Atsukami Ren. He resides in a small trade village near the Earth Country border called Geyser. Intelligence shows shinobi from the Hidden Stone frequent the area, so any signs revealing you to be from Konoha should be removed prior to crossing the Earth Country border. Ren has been requested to meet with an extraction team exactly two weeks from today at noon in the village square. You will recognize him by the green leaf he will be wearing on his collar. It is imperative his retrieval is swift and discrete. The organizations that he possesses information on would no doubt attempt to intervene if word should spread about his defection to Konoha, so you must be prepared to encounter Chuunin and Jounin level enemies. Ren's safety is your top priority. The information he has may prove vital for the continued safety of the village and its residents. _

After the three had read and reread the briefing, Kintarou rolled the scroll back up and took a match from his equipment pouch. Striking it against the forehead protector around his waist, he brought the small flame to the edge of the parchment. As the flame caught the edge and spread, he dropped it to the ground and watched as it slowly burned, until only a pile of ashes remained.

"Two weeks from yesterday," Takeo recalled. "Only thirteen days to make it there, huh? Guess we should get going."

"Agreed," Kintarou nodded. "Shall we?"

"All set," Kaori replied, holding the leather straps to the knapsack around her shoulders.

"Yosh!" Kintarou grinned. "Let's move out, team!"

He hurriedly ran off out of the gates, with a startled Kaori at his heels.

"I hope he's not going to be like this the whole way," Takeo sighed as he chased after the others.


	4. Chapter 4: The Black Bear

**A/N: Chapter 4 (which is actually the long part I chopped from chapter 3) is here. I wasn't sure whether to skip the travelling and go into the mission right away or take a few chapters and throw some more background into the story. I ended up doing the latter, so it won't be until Chapter 7 that they arrive for the mission (for those who could care less about their backgrounds and just want to get into the action). **

**KC Evans: First, thanks for the reviews. I rewrote the Katsugan part of Ch. 3 to try and better describe theability as I see it. It's nowhere near as good as Byakugan; it basically amplifies normal vision (see farther and clearer, kind of like telescopic eyes). I was trying to think of good techniques for a ninja archer and vision-related ones seemed to fit.**

**And as always, please don't hesitate to leave reviews.**

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**Chapter 4**

"**The Black Bear"**

As the trio reached the dense forests just outside Konoha, they swiftly leapt up and continued their journey hopping between the tree branches. Though the heaviest of the three, Kintarou was moving the fastest and came close to leaving Takeo and Kaori behind more than a few times.

"Hey, Kintarou," Takeo called. "I know you're excited, but maybe we should slow up a bit. You're going to burn yourself out."

"I'll be fine," Kintarou replied with a grin. "Thank you for the concern, though."

"He's just impatient Takeo-kun," Kaori suggested. "Once the adrenaline rush wears off, I'm sure Kintarou-kun will slow down a bit."

"Somehow I doubt it," Takeo sighed.

Speeding through the shaded forest canopy, the group traveled in silence for hours, each apparently lost among their own thoughts. Kaori's usually warm and inviting face was anything but, replaced by a stoic expression and eyes filled with intense determination. She brushed an occasional twig out of her sandy-blonde hair, which danced wildly behind her as she flew. Takeo, as usual, displayed his calm and carefree demeanor, though every minute or so his brown eyes darted around the trio as they traveled. Kintarou, leading the ANBU hopefuls, was smiling ear to ear and displaying unusual grace for someone his size as he hopped between branches.

"It's been a long journey, hasn't it," he said suddenly.

"What?" Kaori asked.

"From when we were all just Genins," Kintarou explained. "It just seems like a long time ago."

"Yeah, I guess sometimes it does," Takeo agreed. "But when you start thinking about it, though…makes it seem like yesterday."

"That's true," Kaori said, her eyes looking off elsewhere as she started to remember her Genin days.

"Yes," Kintarou nodded. "It's been a long and rough journey…"

"Hm?" Takeo replied.

"Oh, I was just thinking," Kintarou said. "Let's keep moving. We should be able to cover a few more miles before noon."

Continuing to contemplate his words, Kintarou soon found himself recalling those eventful days…

_(FLASHBACK) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __(FLASHBACK)_

Amidst the gloomy drizzle of afternoon rain, a crowd of children excitedly hurried outside of the Academy and into the eager arms of their waiting families. Each student found his or her parents and immediately began bragging about their success. Trying to squeeze his way through the mob, a tall chubby boy with spiky black hair waved when he finally spotted the portly woman awaiting him with open arms.

"I did it mom," he said, accepting her embrace.

"I'm so proud of you, Kintarou," she replied. "And on your first try, too. Your father didn't even pass on his first exam, you know."

"Really?" Kintarou smiled.

"Yes."

"Wow," he replied.

"Oi, Kintarou," a boy called. "You want to come celebrate with us?"

"No, thanks," he yelled back. "My mom's here, so-"

"Go ahead, Kintarou," his mother prodded. "I'll be at home when you're finished, making you a special celebration dinner."

Kintarou nodded before hurrying over to join his fellow graduates. He didn't say much, keeping the same serious expression as his mother warmly smiled at him. As he and his friends celebrated, Kintarou found himself wishing he were back at the Academy. He had training sessions to lead for the younger students and felt he couldn't afford the time off. Eventually, however, he settled in with his classmates and began to feel at ease until the time came when the other students had to leave. Sadly, Kintarou rose to head home and meet his mother for dinner. As soon as he arrived and opened the door to their small apartment, the inviting aroma of barbecued pork and grilled vegetables greeted him. Trying to savor the delicious meal his mother had prepared, Kintarou ate slowly as he and his mother spoke about the momentous day ahead. As his mother washed up after they had finished the meal, Kintarou raced off to bed early, anxious for tomorrow to come.

The following morning, Kintarou found himself impatiently waiting with the other students inside the busy classroom to be assigned to their teams. When the sensei finally returned and announced them, Kintarou was less than enthused to learn who he'd been teamed with: his annoying friend, Daisuke, and a shy, auburn-haired girl named Reika, who hardly spoke a word to anyone. As the three of them gathered together to talk, a wiry Jounin appeared before them in a puff of smoke.

"Yo," he greeted, as he adjusted the black bandana around his shaven head. "I guess you three are mine."

"Are you our sensei?" Daisuke asked with disappointment, rubbing his unruly blonde hair.

"Yep," he replied, folding his arms across his green Jounin vest. "Nagara Jun. And you are…ah, Sataki Daisuke."

"Um, yeah," he nervously replied.

"It's an honor to learn under you Jun-sensei," Kintarou bowed.

"Ah, then you would be…Kazumo Kintarou," Jun pointed. "That leaves Hikachi Reika."

The petite girl hidden behind Kintarou slowly raised her hand.

"Excellent," Jun nodded. "Tomorrow morning at seven, in the open field near the Hokage monument…I'll see you there for training."

Before Kintarou or Daisuke could reply, he was gone in another puff of smoke. The three of them stood around for a moment before agreeing to split up for the day. When the sun finally rose the next morning, Kintarou was already waiting beneath the stone faces of the Hokages. His navy blue shirt was moist with sweat as he nervously awaited the rest of his team. When Daisuke and Reika finally arrived, the three sat around together and waited for their sensei. An hour later, Kintarou was losing his patience.

"Where is he?" he lamented.

"Maybe he forgot," Daisuke joked. "He seemed a bit scattered, you know."

"I hope nothing happened," Reika mumbled.

Kintarou angrily stood and pounded a fist into his palm.

"I'm tired of waiting," he exclaimed. "I'm going to see what's keeping him. You guys coming?"

'I'm with you," Daisuke nodded.

"Okay," Reika agreed timidly.

"Yosh!" Kintarou cried as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Reika suddenly shouted.

Kintarou stopped just before a streaking kunai hit the ground at his feet. He froze as he and the others spotted a hooded man hidden among the leaves in a nearby tree.

"Oi, watch it!" Kintarou shouted.

The man said nothing. Then, in an instant, he leapt from his perch and thrust both arms out wildly. His gloved hands flew open, releasing a half-dozen shuriken that spun rapidly toward the stunned Genin below. Daisuke and Reika were both unable to move, their fearful eyes entranced by the deadly projectiles approaching them. Thankfully snapping out of his paralysis, Kintarou immediately dove and tackled his teammates, knocking them all out of the way. The three hit the ground with a loud thud as the shuriken pierced the soil where they had just stood.

"You okay?" Kintarou managed to ask the other two as they gingerly got up from the ground.

"Fine," Daisuke meekly replied. "W-Who is that?"

"Don't know," Kintarou replied, trying to catch a glimpse of the shinobi's face beneath his oversized hood.

"Do you think he has something to do with Jun-sensei being late?" Reika nervously asked.

"It's possible," Kintarou nodded.

"What do we do?" Daisuke questioned.

Kintarou sneered. "We fight."

The hooded shinobi stood some twenty yards away, still staring at the three with his shadow-covered eyes. Suddenly, he withdrew a second kunai from behind his back and charged.

"Daisuke!" Kintarou said.

"Okay."

Daisuke quickly fumbled through the equipment pouch at his waist until he felt them. With one swift motion, three spinning shuriken were flying straight towards the oncoming attacker. Bringing his kunai up to his covered face, the man easily swatted them away with the edge of his blade. As the deflected shuriken scattered in different directions, Kintarou rushed ahead and prepared to attack with his own kunai. Daisuke and Reika could only watch as the two blades fiercely collided. The sound of metal against metal resonated through the small open field as tiny sparks flew from the force of the opposing strikes. Both Kintarou and the mysterious shinobi were knocked back a bit, but Kintarou recovered immediately and again charged headfirst towards the man. Kintarou blocked a slash attempt and with a loud cry, drove his own blade into the man's shoulder.

"Hah!" he yelled victoriously.

Kintarou's enthusiasm vanished along with the wounded man, who disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a log in his place.

"A substitution," Daisuke cringed, quickly scanning the area. "Keep your eyes open Kintarou! He still has to be in the area somewhere."

Beads of sweat began pouring down the three Genins' faces. Kintarou carefully pulled his kunai out of the wooden log and joined Reika and Daisuke in anxiously listening and glancing around. The only sounds they heard were the gasps from their own heavy breathing and the pounding from their racing hearts. Then deathly silence filled the air.

"Kintarou, behind you!" Reika cried.

Kintarou spun around in time to see the man diving down upon him from above. He confidently dodged the man's rapid kicks and surprised him by grabbing each of his wrists.

"Got you this time," Kintarou growled, clutching one of the hooded man's arms in each hand

To the shock of his teammates, Kintarou began pushing the man back, and then in one swift movement turned and tossed him over his shoulder. An agonizing groan escaped the hooded shinobi's lips as Kintarou drove his body into the earth, sending out small shockwaves that shook a few leaves off of the surrounding trees. Kintarou collapsed to his knees, panting as he tilted his sweat-soaked face back in exhaustion. Reika and Daisuke ran to congratulate him, but froze as the man rose and quickly seized Kintarou by his collar and lifted the large boy into the air. Kintarou struggled and thrashed about, but the man easily avoided any blows.

"Kintarou!" Daisuke and Reika cried simultaneously.

"Yield if you wish to save him," a muffled voice ordered from within the veil of darkness inside the hood.

Reika and Daisuke glanced at one another and then at Kintarou, who was still trying to break the man's grip on him. Daisuke nervously bit his lower lip as Reika tensely shuffled through her equipment pouch.

"Yield," the man repeated. "Or this boy-"

"Never," Kintarou snarled, glaring at his teammates. "Don't…stop…"

Kintarou roared out in anguish as he clutched the arm holding him up and began to twist.

"Argh!" the man yelled, releasing Kintarou, who hurriedly rolled away.

Kneeling momentarily, Kintarou tried to gather himself. His eyes shot open when he caught sight of a kunai flying straight at the hooded shinobi's back just as the man turned towards him. Kintarou smirked as he caught his gaze, but it quickly faded into a scowl as the man caught the kunai without so much as a glance behind him. Daisuke looked stunned as Reika stood beside him, her arm still extended out in front of her. A small smile spread across her pale face. The hooded shinobi caught sight of her grin and then noticed the glowing talisman wrapped around the handle of the blade. He hastily tossed the kunai away, but not before it exploded and sent him flying. Right on his heels, Kintarou charged and delivered a punishing spear to the man's midsection with every ounce of strength he had left. The man groaned in pain as he smashed into a large tree trunk and then fell in a heap to the ground. Kintarou, Daisuke, and Reika regrouped and stood over him. They trio exchanged joyous nods and smiles, until the man's body vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving a straw dummy in his place. The group turned immediately, only to find a pair of kunai inches from their throats. The hooded shinobi glanced at the three children before slowly lowering his weapons.

"Not bad," he chuckled, removing his hood and tossing it to the dirt.

"Jun-sensei!" Kintarou and Daisuke exclaimed.

Minutes later, as the three rookie Genin were recuperating from the brief battle, Jun began explaining his guise.

"So it was just a test?" Daisuke lamented.

"I'm afraid so," Jun smiled. "But you three did well. Haven't had a team knock me down twice in awhile…well, not me, but my dummy self…you know…"

"But we passed our final exam, right?" Daisuke continued. "Why test us again?"

"Most Academy students know the basics of being a ninja," Jun explained. "But only a few are mature enough and confident enough to use those skills in real life situations. For example, a student may excel at a technique under the safe environment of the Academy, but what happens out in the field? Not everyone is able to duplicate the same feats in the heat of battle as they can inside the school. Others, however, who may have struggled under the pressure of their peers watchful eyes, may perform well under the stress of real-life situations."

Jun winked at Reika, causing her to turn away.

"Also," he continued. "Teamwork is a vital quality in a Genin. You guys are rookies and, by yourselves, know very little compared to a Chuunin or a Jounin. But when you combine your knowledge and strengths by working as a team, your power is much greater. Placing each of the teams in various tests determines just who is capable of it."

"I see," Kintarou nodded.

Jun smiled. "Kintarou, you have natural leadership instincts. Your teammates seem to follow you faithfully and defend you well. And it would appear you've inherited your father's raw power and strength."

Kintarou's eyes widened as he heard him mention his father.

"But," Jun said with a sigh. "You still need to learn to control that strength. You can't simply charge into battle roaring like that. More often than not, it'll get you killed. Daisuke, you showed quick reactions and thinking as well as concern for your teammates. However, your confidence is shaky at best. You too, Reika, though I'm glad to have seen the keen mind and brave face that I'd heard you possessed."

A blushing Reika and grinning Daisuke nodded along with their sensei's criticism. Kintarou, as usual, was still very serious.

"Well, I guess that's enough," Jun smiled. "I'll meet you all again tomorrow."

"Wait, meet us where?" Daisuke stopped him.

"Here," Jun replied. "Sunrise."

Daisuke and Reika nodded and both turned to leave. Kintarou stood motionless and stared thoughtfully at the ground.

"Jun-sensei," he started. "You, you said I had my father's strength. Did you know him?

Jun grinned as he stepped past him.

"Yep," Jun nodded.

Immediately, Kintarou raced over to his sensei and walked beside him.

"Kenta and I were in the same rookie class," Jun began. "Even at 12 years old, your dad could stand up to most of the examiners when it came to raw strength. None of us rookies were even in the same league."

"Wow," Kintarou replied.

"But like I said," Jun sighed. "You two share that strength, and unfortunately, you apparently share your dad's battle strategy, too. Rush in, fight, and fight some more until it's over. Kenta was an expert in Taijutsu and was able to master several Ninjutsu techniques of his own style giving him an edge when he charged into battle. Though you aren't there yet, I could definitely see some of your dad in you."

"Th-Thank you, Jun-sensei," Kintarou responded.

"You still have a ways to catch up with the famous Black Bear of Konoha though," Jun laughed.

"Black Bear?" Kintarou asked with a puzzled look.

"Your dad…thought you knew that," Jun explained. "Kenta was relentless in battle, you know…tick him off and he'd charge at you, maul you, and rip you to shreds…"

Kintarou gulped.

"Not literally," Jun chuckled. "Anyway, because of that, and because of your dad's black hair and beard, most of us started calling him the Black Bear…"

"Wow," Kintarou said awestruck.

"Yep," Jun smiled. "But unlike you, Kenta knew when to take a break from all of this. I've seen your records, Kintarou. For someone barely twelve years old, you've got a hell of a lot of stuff on your plate. All the extra training classes and after school sessions you put in may help you during a fight, but they won't do you any good outside of one. Be a kid for a while. Smile…laugh…you know, as fierce of a shinobi as your dad was, he still had one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen."

Kintarou laughed, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

"There you go," Jun nodded. "Keep it up. I'll see you, er…tomorrow, Kintarou."

Jun leapt up and vanished in an instant, leaving a smiling Kintarou alone with his thoughts.

_(END FLASHBACK) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- __(END FLASHBACK)_

"The Black Bear, huh?" Takeo smiled. "Hehe…definitely suits you, too."

After the three had stopped for a quick lunch, Takeo and Kaori had noticed Kintarou's unusually silent behavior and quickly prodded him about it until he finally snapped awake from his daze. With a few warm smiles from Kaori, Kintarou happily regaled his teammates with the tale of his first day as a Genin.

"You think so?" Kintarou eagerly asked.

"Sure," Takeo nodded. "We've both seen you fight many times, right, Kaori?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "You definitely act like a wild animal sometimes."

Kintarou grinned. He had heard the same remarks from Daisuke and Reika numerous times as the three grew up together as Genin. It had only made him even more determined to continue his training. Jun had agreed to help Kintarou master control over his strength and had even taught him a few of the techniques made famous by his father. As the years passed and Kintarou was promoted to Chuunin, it was Jun who had also led him on the path to ANBU. Kintarou leaned his head back against the boulder he was resting against and gazed off in the distance.

"Kintarou-kun!" Kaori repeated

'Hm? Oh, Kaori-san, I'm sorry. I wasn't listening," he frantically apologized.

"Ha," Takeo chuckled. "See, I'm not the only one who doesn't."

"Hush," Kaori barked, elbowing him in his side.

"Right," Takeo sighed. "Ready to continue, oh fearless leader?"

'Yes," Kintarou nodded. " Ready when you are, Noppo."

The three speedily cleaned up their things and set off again on their journey. Kintarou continued to lead the pack, all the while thinking back on all the help Jun, Daisuke, and even Reika had given him. And now, he was this close to making all of their efforts pay off. He was this close to joining ANBU and living up to his name as the son of the famous Black Bear of Konoha.

"Oi, Black Bear Cub," Takeo sighed as Kintarou again raced ahead. "Try not to lose us..."

"Right," Kintarou laughed, grinning happily as he always seemed to be.


	5. Chapter 5: A Painful Reminder

**A/N: Chapter 5 is here (they'll reach the mission site soon, I promise). I wouldn't be surprised if this chapter gets edited once (or twice); it took me awhile to get going and I'm not sure if I really like the way it flows...but it's been finished for awhile so I thought I'd post it and move on. As always, reviews are welcome/appreciated.**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 5**

"**A Painful Reminder"**

"Rest stop," Kintarou called, hopping down to the ground some thirty feet below.

Takeo and Kaori stopped their movements and leapt down to join him on the forest floor. It had been five days since the ANBU hopefuls had left Konoha. Traveling nearly without a break, the trio found themselves growing weary as the night wore on.

"Fine by me," Takeo replied, wiping his bandaged forearms across his glistening forehead.

"Me too," Kaori echoed. "There was a small inn a mile or so back along the road. Maybe we could head there and rest for the night."

"Good idea, Kaori-san," Kintarou nodded. "We've made good time so far and no doubt deserve the rest. I could use a freshly cooked meal, too."

"I just want to use the bath," Kaori sighed as she turned to follow Kintarou towards the inn.

"Right," Takeo yawned. "Far be it for _Kaori-san_ to be a little dirty."

"Shut up, Takeo-kun," Kaori snapped, rubbing her exhausted eyes.

"Oi, easy Kaori,' Takeo replied. "I was just-"

"Kidding?" Kaori retorted. "I'm really sick of your stupid jokes and your constant teasing about how I look or about my personal life. Just stop it already."

"Kaori-san," Kintarou began. "I think we're all just tired from the journey. Why don't we just go-"

"No," Kaori responded, stamping her foot on the ground. "This has been bothering me for a long time, and I'm not going to stop until I've said what I have to say. You have no idea what it's like to have boys always ogling you, Takeo-kun. It can be a nightmare. And to have you always bring it up by teasing me makes it, well…much worse. I wish you'd just leave me be!"

Kintarou and Takeo both stood wordlessly as Kaori finished. The scowl on her face relaxed a little as she realized the uncomfortable silence she'd created. She glanced at Kintarou, who was doing everything he could to avoid her gaze, and then hesitantly over to Takeo. His face remained unchanged, displaying the same calm expression he always had. But his focused yet gentle eyes dropped as he replied.

"Fine, Kaori, I'll leave you alone for awhile," he said, turning away. "But don't just throw your anger and frustration all on me…for the things that you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she glared.

"Nothing," he sighed, hurriedly hopping back up among the tree branches. "I'll scout around for a bit and make sure our trail is clear, Kintarou."

Before Kintarou could respond, Takeo was again streaking through the forest canopy. Both Kintarou and a fuming Kaori followed the sounds of snapping twigs with their eyes until Takeo was no longer in range. Kintarou started to speak, but Kaori had already begun marching off towards the inn. When the two arrived at the cozy establishment, they were surprised to see several customers hanging about, happily drinking and laughing. While Kintarou spoke with the small elderly woman at the counter about a room, Kaori hastily grabbed a seat at the only open table. She plopped down onto the cracked wooden chair and rested her elbows on the scratched and worn surface of the wooden table. She sighed as she cupped her head in her hands, and blew a few wisps of hair out of her angry yet remorseful eyes.

"He just doesn't understand," she muttered to herself.

"Who doesn't understand what?" Kintarou asked as he took the seat across from her.

"Nobody…nothing," Kaori slowly answered." Did you get the rooms?"

"She only had one room available, Kaori-san," Kintarou replied.

"I see," Kaori nodded. "I know it's a lot to ask, Kintarou-kun, but would you mind letting me have it, just for awhile. My legs are really tired and I could really use a soft bed to rest in."

Kintarou smiled. "You don't have to turn on your charm, Kaori-san. I was going to suggest you take it anyway."

"Thank you, Kintarou-kun," Kaori said gratefully, her attention suddenly shifting towards the young children sitting beside them. "It's nice to have one polite man around."

"Don't be so harsh on Takeo," Kintarou frowned. "He didn't really mean anything by it. You and I both know that's just how he is."

"Hmph," Kaori responded, folding her arms and angrily turning in her seat. "Maybe, but that doesn't excuse his rude behavior. And what does he mean the things I do?"

Kaori crossed her left leg over her right and grumpily sat back in her chair. The kids nearby started talking as Kintarou hesitantly raised a hand.

"Well, to tell the truth, Kaori-san," he nervously smiled. "You do tend to, uh…use your charm to get men to…"

Kintarou's voice trailed off as he noticed Kaori intensely concentrating on the two children sitting a few feet away. A boy sat half-heartedly listening to the timid and nervous ramblings of a young girl. Kaori was blatantly staring, despite Kintarou's attempts to distract her gaze.

"And, um…" the pig-tailed girl stammered. "I just wanted to say that…um, I…um…I like you!"

She promptly covered her face in embarrassment.

"Oh," the dark-haired boy replied. "I like you too, I guess."

"Really?" the girl smiled, her lower lip trembling.

"Yeah," he continued. "I mean, as a friend…"

"Oh," she said solemnly, glancing at the floor.

"I mean, you're really nice and all," the boy offered before getting up to leave. "It's just that, you know…your sister is really pretty so I kind of like her."

The girl's eyes soon reddened and tears began to stream down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. Unsure of what to do, the boy simply left her there alone to sit and cry. Kaori looked on with sadness, her gaze never straying from the little girl.

"Kaori-san?" Kintarou whispered.

Kaori didn't respond, a somber expression appearing across her face as she remembered that pain.

_(FLASHBACK) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (FLASHBACK)_

Her foot violently stomped on the ground, kicking up a wave of sand and debris. She lifted both arms out to her side and then, in a flash, thrust her palms into the cloud of dust.

"Doton: Nemurisuna no Jutsu! (_Earth Element: Sleep Sand Technique)_"

The millions of sand particles surrounding her hands began to glisten with a faint gold aura. Before the two shinobi surrounding her could react, she swiftly spun around in a small circle, guiding the chakra-laced sand into a large ring around her that hovered above her attackers. They had just enough time to glance up before the halo of sand rained down upon them. Though they tried to counterattack, the two could manage only a step or two before an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion swept over them. As the girl finished her spin, her two attackers fell face forward onto the ground, lost in a deep sleep.

"Hey, Kaori-chan!"

Turning at the sound of her name, the thin blonde-haired girl smiled at the group of Genin waving her over. She stepped over the two snoring boys and happily jogged over to meet them, the two short braids from her temples bouncing on her cheeks as her ponytail swayed from side to side.

"Hi, Megumi-chan," Kaori greeted the girl who had called out, a cheerful smile spread across her freckled face.

"Are you guys finished training yet?" Megumi snickered.

"Tsuno-kun and Yuji-kun are," Kaori laughed. "I guess that means Team 6 is, too."

"That was a pretty awesome move, Kaori-chan," a boy admired. "I've never seen an earth element Genjutsu technique…where'd you learn it?"

"Ah, well…" she stammered, nervously twirling a braid between her fingers. "Um, Kira taught it to me, Chozo-kun."

"Guess I should have figured that out," he smiled. "Does Kira-sensei have any cool moves she could show me?"

"Um…I'll have to ask," Kaori smiled sheepishly.

"Come on, Kaori-chan," Megumi pressed. "You wanted me to walk with you, right?"

"Oh, right," she nodded. "Um, I guess I'll see you later…er, I mean tomorrow Chozo-kun."

"Right," he grinned. "Oi, Megumi-chan. Don't forget about our training session tomorrow morning."

"I know," she replied, dragging Kaori away.

Kaori waved a quick goodbye to Chozo before turning and blending into the huddled mass heading away from the grassy training compound.

"Oi, Kaori-chan," a girl giggled softly. "We were just talking about your boyfriend."

A few of the other girls laughed.

"H-He's not my boyfriend," she retorted.

"She just wishes he was," Megumi whispered loudly, adjusting the glasses on her face.

"Megumi-chan!" Kaori snapped.

"What? Didn't you tell me yesterday you wanted Chozo-kun to ask you out," she teased.

Kaori's tanned cheeks blushed furiously as she fidgeted with her hands behind her back. The other girls giggled as Kaori stared with embarrassment at the dirt. The oversized short-sleeved robe that hung just below her hips flapped gently in the breeze.

"So…so what?" Kaori replied finally.

"I'm sorry, Kaori-chan," Megumi smiled apologetically. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Yeah," another girl added. "It's just that Chozo-kun is really, um, picky about girls."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaori questioned.

"Nothing," Megumi assured her.

As the afternoon came to a close, Kaori strayed from the group and headed off for home. With Megumi tagging along, Kaori enjoyed the chance to chat with her best friend. They hadn't had much time together since they both began practicing with their teams for the upcoming Chuunin Exams. Though only in their second year as Genin, both girls were confident in passing the exam and enjoying some well-deserved time off.

"Megumi-chan," Kaori started. "What did you guys mean about Chozo-kun being picky?"

"Kaori-chan," Megumi sighed.

"He's on your team," Kaori continued. "You're around him more than I am now, so if anyone would know it would be you."

Megumi shook her head. "Kaori-chan…they meant that Chozo-kun only goes out with certain kinds of girls…the prettiest girls…"

"Oh," Kaori replied with sadness. "So I'm not pretty enough…"

"Ah, Kaori-chan," Megumi smiled. "It's not that. Hey, you know Aiko-chan, right? She asked Chozo-kun out last week but he turned her down right away. Everyone knows how pretty she is, but he still turned her down. I…we just don't want you to get hurt."

Kaori stopped and stood thoughtfully, rubbing her navy sandals against the ground.

"Thanks," she replied. "But I've known Chozo-kun since we were little. We used to play together all the time at the Academy. So…so I'm not going to give up because of some bad rumors."

"There not rumors, Kaori-chan, it's-"

"I don't care," Kaori promptly responded. "I'll do whatever it takes to show Chozo-kun how much I love…I mean like him…"

"I don't know," Megumi sighed.

Minutes later, Kaori and Megumi said their goodbyes outside Kaori's home. As Kaori stepped inside and began to slip her sandals off, she spotted two men carrying large crates towards the back of the restaurant before heading into the kitchen.

"Just stack them with the others," a feminine voice ordered.

"Kira?"

"Oh, Kaori. When did you get home?"

"Just now," she answered. "Who are they?"

"I don't know," Kira snickered. "I met them at the market place, and they were kind enough to help me carry a few things home."

"You mean you flirted with them and made them do your chores for you," Kaori frowned.

Kira stuck her tongue out at her baby sister. "You make it sound so bad."

"I wish I could do that…" Kaori mumbled.

"What?" Kira asked.

"Um, it's nothing, Kira."

"Liar," Kira smiled. "Boy trouble?"

"Ah, no…it's…"

"Ha, I thought so," Kira nodded. "Is it Chozo-kun?"

"No, it's…yeah…" Kaori sighed.

"Well, good luck!" Kira cheerfully smiled, playfully patting Kaori on her head.

"R-Right," she stumbled.

Kira seductively pranced around in front of the two boys emerging from the kitchen, giggling and grinning from ear to ear. Kaori paused and couldn't help but shake her head as the two headed back outside, only to return minutes later with another heavy box in their hands. Both embarrassed and jealous over her sister's abilities, Kaori broodingly marched up the small set of stairs to her room. Throwing her knapsack on the floor, Kaori allowed herself to gently fall face first onto her bed. Burying her face in her pillow, she frantically bit her lower lip. After an hour of back-and-forth banter in her head, she hesitantly decided to wait until tomorrow to make her move. She was accompanying Megumi to her practice session in the morning anyway. If she and Chozo had the chance to be alone, she would definitely tell him.

After a night full of tossing and turning but absent of any semblance of sleep, Kaori found herself again walking alongside her best friend in the early hours just after dawn. Unusually quiet, Kaori and Megumi were soon standing around outside the Academy training grounds, waiting for the other members of Megumi's team. Before Kaori could mention her plan, Chozo and another boy appeared together on the horizon.

"G-Good morning, Chozo-kun," Kaori anxiously waved.

"Oh, hey, Kaori-chan," he yawned. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um…well, I …"

"I asked her to come," Megumi interjected. "I figured with four of us we could pair off and practice one on one."

"Ah, good idea," Chozo nodded. "Me and Ikkai then?"

"Actually, I was thinking me and Ikkai," Megumi replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Kaori and I have practiced with each other too many times for it to be useful."

"Okay," Chozo nodded. "So Kaori-chan and I then?"

"Great," Kaori shouted, perhaps louder than she meant to reply.

Megumi winked at Kaori before turning and running over to her other teammate. As Chozo dropped his bag on the dew-soaked grass, Kaori stood anxiously fidgeting with her hands behind her back. She tried to suppress her nerves as she could feel her cheeks growing warm. She was sure her face must have been as red as the morning sun.

"Oi, Kaori-chan," Chozo said, waving a hand in front of her face. "You okay?"

"Oh…um, yeah Chozo-kun, I'm great…really great," she forcibly laughed.

Chozo looked at her oddly for a moment before shaking his head. He knelt and grabbed a handful of shuriken from his bag and placed them in the pouch at his waist. Standing, he turned and faced Kaori, who was still trying to maintain her composure.

"Ready?" Chozo asked her.

"Y-Yeah…r-ready," Kaori stumbled.

"You sure?" Chozo chuckled. "This is serious training, so I can't go easy on you."

'I know," Kaori nodded, reaching her slightly shaking hand into the holster bandaged around her thigh. "I won't either."

"Good," Chozo replied. "Whenever you're ready."

The words had barely escaped his lips before his hands shot forward. Stunned, Kaori's eyes frantically followed the two small orbs flying towards her. Hitting the ground a few yards in front of her, the tiny bombs erupted into a massive cloud of thick gray smoke. Kaori was blind to Chozo's movements. Before she could react, a shadow emerged from the cloud, brandishing a blade in its hand. Kaori cried out as she instinctively fell face first to the ground, avoiding the blow. Flipping over and then down upon her, Chozo ferociously drove his knee into Kaori's back. Her scream did little to dissuade his attack, as Chozo spun his kunai around his finger before clutching its short handle and bringing it down within inches of Kaori's trembling eyes.

"You obviously need work," he snickered.

Kaori crumpled her face in frustration. Digging her hands into the softened soil, she clutched at the earth beneath her and deftly flipped her long lanky legs up, knocking Chozo on the back of his head and distracting him long enough for her to fully somersault over and throw him completely off. Immediately, she sprang up and reached into her pouch. As Chozo regained his footing, several shuriken were flying right at his head.

"What am I doing?" Kaori shrieked to herself. "I don't want to scratch his face."

Luckily, Chozo swatted away the first few spinning projectiles before skillfully catching a pair in his off hand. He promptly tossed them back at Kaori, who leapt up out of the way. Gracefully, she latched onto the trunk of the tallest tree using chakra concentrated at her feet. Chozo was racing towards her, both hands drawn together behind his back before he released shuriken of his own. Pushing herself off from the tree trunk, Kaori narrowly escaped their razor-sharp teeth. She spun around as she landed solidly on the worn dirt, catching sight of Chozo again rushing towards her.

"I got him," she thought to herself.

The dust and debris that fluttered briefly in the air from her hard landing was soon aglow with chakra as Kaori's hands fused it into the cloud.

"But what if Chozo-kun gets upset with me for beating him," she quickly questioned herself. "How can I talk with him after this?"

Chozo, now only a few feet away, suddenly recognized Kaori's movements from the previous day. His eyes glanced upward at the sparkling sand rising above and around Kaori's head as both his fists shot forward.

"No, Chozo-kun would understand," Kaori argued against her own doubts. "He's…he said to fight serious…but what if I did beat him…would he…"

Kaori closed her eyes and grimaced, preparing for the pain. Her circular motion slowed slightly, leaving a gap in the sand halo. Through it came a charging Chozo, who thrust both fists into Kaori's midsection, knocking her back off her feet. She gasped as she crashed to the ground, landing awkwardly on her side. The faint taste of blood polluted her mouth, and Kaori was left struggling for air in between fighting back the gagging and crying. Relaxing his fists, Chozo jogged over and helped her to her feet.

"Almost had me," he smiled. "Guess I was quicker than you thought."

"Y-yeah…" Kaori coughed.

Taking a minute to retrieve her first aid supplies, Kaori collapsed to her knees in exhaustion.

"You sure you're okay, Kaori-chan?" Chozo asked.

Yeah," she nodded. "Thanks."

"Right," Chozo nodded. "Listen, maybe we should switch partners…I don't want to hurt you too bad."

"No," Kaori replied, violently shaking her head. "I want to be your partner, Chozo-kun."

"Huh?" Chozo responded.

"I, um…" Kaori stuttered, realizing what she had said. "I really like you, Chozo-kun. I always have, since we were kids and I…I just want to spend time with you and maybe…maybe go out together sometime…just us…"

"Oh," Chozo frowned slightly. "Um, I like you, too Kaori-chan. But, you know, as a friend."

Kaori's face dropped.

"I mean, you're nice and all, and have been pretty helpful since we were younger," Chozo continued. "But it's just that, you know…I'm kind of holding out for the really pretty girls."

Kaori's heart sank and she felt the pain inside her worsening. Her eyes began to tear up.

"Not that you're ugly or anything," Chozo quickly corrected. "I mean, you're sort of cute…but, I mean, your sister is really pretty. I guess if you looked more like Kira-sensei than maybe-"

The muffled sobs drowned out Chozo's final words as Kaori tearfully ran off. A speechless Chozo was left standing alone as Kaori ran away, the salty drops cascading down her cheeks. She clutched at her aching chest, unsure whether the pain was from Chozo's fists or his words. She ran past the few kids playing on the swing sets and headed into the nearly empty halls at the Academy. Sprinting down through the hallways, she inadvertently bounded headfirst into someone as she turned the corner.

"Hey, be careful – wait, Kaori? What's wrong?"

Kaori's sobbing face glanced up into the comforting eyes of her sister.

"Kira," she stumbled.

"I take it things with Chozo-kun didn't go so well," Kira said compassionately.

Kaori broke down completely and buried her head into her hands. Kira wrapped an arm around her neck and leaned her own head against Kaori's. After a few minutes, Kaori finally composed herself enough to recount the morning to her sister, who frowned when Kaori confessed to letting Chozo beat her.

"When I told him how I felt, he…he said that he was waiting for the really pretty girls," Kaori choked. "He said that if I…I looked more like you than he would…"

"Oh," Kira snorted. "Jerk…I'm sorry Kaori. But guys like that are jerks. Doesn't matter how old they are, I guess there are always a few."

"But he's right," Kaori solemnly replied. "If I looked more like you it wouldn't be-"

"Hey," Kira interrupted. "What are Mom and I always telling you? Wait a few years before getting all worked up over how you look, okay? You'll be surprised how much you'll change. Just make sure you don't let things like how you look go to your head."

"Like you do?" Kaori chuckled half-heartedly.

"Hey," Kira grinned, playfully tapping her sister on her head.

"Oi, Kira-sensei!" a voice interrupted.

_(END FLASHBACK) -------------------------------------------------------------- (END FLASHBACK)_

A warm, tender smile spread across Kaori's face as she fondly began remembering her talk with her sister.

"Kaori-san?" Kintarou repeated, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Ah," Kaori responded. "Kintarou-kun, I'm sorry. I was just thinking…"

"I noticed," he smiled. "Care to share you were so focused on?"

"Nope," she smiled.

"Anyway, it's nice to see you in a better mood," Kintarou grinned.

"Right," Kaori sheepishly replied. "Listen, thank you for the offer, but you can go ahead and have the room first, Kintarou-kun."

"Hm? Are you sure?" Kintarou asked.

Kaori nodded as she rose from her seat and walked over to the front door. She reached a hand out for the doorknob, but her fingertips clasped nothing but air as the door suddenly swung open. Kaori awkwardly stumbled forward and tried to brace herself for the fall, but almost immediately found herself caught in familiar hands.

"Ah, sorry Kaori," Takeo said. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied hesitantly. "Listen, um, Takeo-kun…"

"Right, right, I'll give you some space," he quickly replied.

"Actually, I…I wanted to apologize," Kaori admitted. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I was just tired and frustrated…"

"Don't worry about it," Takeo told her. "Sorry I keep teasing you about those things."

It's okay," Kaori smiled. "I know you only do it to remind me that I can get a little caught up with how I look…and that maybe I do take advantage of you boys too much."

"Actually, I do it to get back at you for tricking Kintarou and I into working at your family's restaurant during our first few missions together."

"What?" Kaori scowled.

"But also for your reasons," Takeo quickly added with a sly grin. "Even still, I'll try to lighten up a bit."

They shared a brief smile before Takeo hurried to the fire to warm himself

"Takeo-kun," Kaori chuckled softly. "Thank you…"

_(FLASHBACK) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (FLASHBACK)_

"Oi, Kira-sensei!" a voice interrupted.

Kaori and Kira turned to see a lean boy with a mop of messy brown hair approaching.

"Ah, Kira-sensei," he said. "We got a little worried when you didn't come back. Hokoji-sensei kind of messed up the technique you were trying to show him and…oh, sorry, I didn't know your sister was here."

"How'd you know she was my sister?" Kira giggled.

"I don't know. You look a lot alike, I guess" he replied.

Kira smiled as Kaori looked up.

"Thank you, Takeo-kun," Kira nodded.

"Eh? For what?"

"Nothing," Kira chuckled. "Tell Hokoji-san I'm on my way."

"Right."

The boy quickly ran back around the corner out of sight.

"Just wait, Kaori," Kira said. "Whether you grow into a beautiful woman or a plain and simple girl, the only thing that really matters is that you stay who you are. And when you do grow up, try not to get too caught up in shallow things like how you look, as I seem to, okay?"

Kaori nodded, the remnants of her tears drying on her cheeks.

_(END FLASHBACK) -------------------------------------------------------------- (END FLASHBACK)_

"I will, Kira," Kaori whispered softly, enjoying the crisp evening air for a few moments before finally returning to warmth inside the inn.


	6. Chapter 6: Aim

**A/N: a little later than I thought, but here's chapter 6, the last flashback/character chapter...yeah, the mission officially kicks into gear next chapter. As always, read & review...**

**EDIT: I rewrote a few parts almost immediately after posting the chapter, so bits and pieces near the end are different.**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 6 **

"**Aim" **

_(FLASHBACK) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (FLASHBACK) _

With his head hanging sadly between his knees, the boy caught sight of the faint green aura emanating from the crack between the double doors. He knew the massive amount of healing chakra that had to be generating on the other side. The hospital's top medical specialists argued and yelled as several nurses rushed past into the emergency treatment room behind him. Angrily clenching his teeth, he fought back the tears as vivid images from the disastrous battle flooded his mind. He collapsed to his knees, pounding his bloodstained fists into the floor. The torn white cloth he held in his right hand was almost completely discolored, dyed a deep red by the large amount of blood it had absorbed. He growled in anguish as he tossed the bloody memento away.

"Takeo!"

_(END FLASHBACK) -------------------------------------------------------------- (END FLASHBACK)_

"Takeo-kun!"

"Hm?"

Takeo glanced over to Kaori and felt her steely gaze. His eyes immediately turned back towards the small backpack Kintarou had pressed on him. Nearly ten days after they had departed from Konoha's gates, Takeo and the others had finally reached the Earth Country border. As Kintarou happily reminded, Tsunade had instructed them to be discrete when entering Earth Country, which was why the three Chuunin were sneaking around in a small clearing on this rainy afternoon, discarding anything that would identify them as shinobi from Konoha. Kintarou and Kaori had removed what few items they had, but were now impatiently waiting for Takeo to do the same. After lifting his quiver off and over his head, Takeo had unzipped his Chuunin vest and pulled his left arm out of the sleeve. The dark red bandana he wore tied around his bicep snagged on one of the vest's frayed edges and slid down around his elbow, causing Takeo to pause and immediately lift it back up. He double-checked the knot, tugging carefully on one of the ends. Curious about Takeo's fixation with a simple piece of clothe, his teammates had exchanged puzzled looks.

"What are you doing?" Kaori again asked him.

"Uh, taking my Chuunin vest off…" Takeo answered, carelessly dropping the dark green flak jacket to the damp ground.

"I see that," Kaori frowned. "I meant what are you doing messing with your silly armband? We're in a hurry remember."

"I know, I know," Takeo sighed, trying to hide his resentment towards Kaori's remarks.

"I've always wanted to ask, but is there a reason you wear that?" Kintarou inquired. "Colors like that red are hardly appropriate for a high-level shinobi to wear, especially one from Konoha. It would make it difficult to hide amongst the green and brown of the forests surrounding the village."

"It's really none of your business," Takeo snapped, throwing the loaded backpack to the ground at Kintarou's feet. "We're set now, right?"

"Takeo-kun?" Kaori said with confusion.

"It's nothing!" he fiercely shot back, before heaving a long exasperating groan. "…I'm sorry, Kaori…you too, Kintarou…"

"Forget I asked," Kintarou smiled, picking up the half-wet pack and slinging it over his shoulders. "Guess that's everything then. Hopefully we'll reach Geyser sometime in the next-"

"It's a reminder," Takeo said bluntly. "A memento…I guess…"

"Oh…of something special? Or someone special?" Kaori lightly joked.

"…Of my failure…" Takeo answered.

Kaori's teasing smile quickly vanished as she and Kintarou both looked with concern at Takeo, who coldly turned away as he ran a hand through his dampened hair. The sudden drizzle had caught the three by surprise that afternoon. Perhaps it was a sign of the dreary days to come. Or maybe it was just a reminder of the gloomy past that Takeo was now reliving. Again fidgeting with his armband, Takeo reluctantly began to relive the horrific day…

_(FLASHBACK) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (FLASHBACK)_

"Tsk…honestly, how many times do I have to tell you? Balance is the key to accuracy. What good is an archery specialist who can't even hit a stationary target twenty yards away? Now do it again! And keep your elbow tight!"

"But it's past dinnertime and—"

"Now, Takeo!"

A disappointing groan escaped the lean boy's lips as he raised the thick oaken bow clasped in his left hand, his long skinny fingers barely able to wrap around the textured grip carved in the middle. Reaching his right hand back behind the mop of disheveled short brown hair on his head, Takeo pulled an arrow from the small quiver strapped across his back. Nestling the tail of the thin wooden spear against the bowstring, he slowly drew it back, resting the shaft on top of his cramped and calloused left hand. Taking careful aim, Takeo focused on the circle-shaped target nailed to the tree before him. Under his father's watchful eyes, he shakily released his grip on the arrow and let it fly. He didn't even bother to look at the target. His father's frustrated sigh told him enough.

"Are you even listening to me?" his father irately asked.

"What? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening…" Takeo sarcastically answered.

"Judging by that shot, it wouldn't surprise me. This is important, Takeo, so please just listen. Whether you want to take this seriously or not is ultimately up to you. But I can tell you from experience that if you don't start concentrating on your training, you'll never be worth anything as a shinobi."

"I'm sorry I'm not living up to the _legendary_ Keigo's expectations," Takeo slowly replied.

"This has nothing to do with me," Keigo said matter-of-factly. "Takeo, this is only about you. You're the one who wanted me to train you as an archery specialist, as I recall."

"No, you're the one who wanted to train me," Takeo snapped.

"I haven't heard you ask me to stop," Keigo quickly countered.

"Yeah, well…that's only because I like having it easy," Takeo shot back. "I get to stay out of all of the dangerous close-combat stuff everyone else has to deal with."

"You're not serious," Keigo angrily responded.

"Yes I am," Takeo nodded, tossing his equipment to the ground at his father's feet. "All the other Genin are jealous that I get to stay in the back during fights…and that I don't have to train as hard or as much as they do."

"And you just assumed that was the best thing?" his father inquired, shaking his head. "Have you so little respect for your teammates and fellow shinobi? Whether you're a ninjutsu specialist, a medical specialist, or an archery specialist, you have a vital part to play on your team. If you ignore that, you're only going to hurt you or your teammates."

Takeo looked away with annoyance.

"Takeo!" Keigo boomed, drawing his son's glaring eyes. "Your barely thirteen, so I realize that you're at a crossroads right now. Believe me, I was there. So I am telling you this as both a father and as your superior as a Jounin of this village. You need to ask yourself what exactly you're goal is as a shinobi. What do want to be? If you remember anything I've taught you, remember what I told you on your first day of archery training: find your target, focus on it and take aim, never taking your eyes off of it."

Takeo folded his arms across his light blue flak jacket as he feigned interest.

"Takeo," Keigo said sternly, grabbing him by his shoulders. "What is your goal? What are you aiming for?"

Takeo paused. "Right now, my goal is to get some sleep. And I'm aiming for a nice big fee for our mission tomorrow since it's a C rank one."

He turned and began walking away, wiping his sore hands on his black knee-length shorts before unzipping his vest. Keigo shook his head as he gathered up the gear Takeo had discarded at his feet.

"I hope you get things figured out soon, Takeo."

Half a day later, Takeo chuckled as he repeated his dad's lecture to his teammates. Marching along on the outskirts of Konoha, the three Genin paced a few yards behind their sensei, allowing Takeo space to whisper the previous evening's events.

"Wow, so he got really mad, huh?" a short boy asked, shaking his raven-haired head. "Kind of sounds like my dad."

"But Takeo," a brown haired girl responded. "Keigo-san sounds like he was just trying to help…right?"

"Yeah, Hitomi, he's always trying to "help" me," Takeo scoffed. "It would be nice to go one day without the famous Keigo blessing me with his advice."

"That'd be like a day without some stupid sarcastic remark from you," the boy laughed.

"Shut up, Katai," Takeo retorted, playfully punching the boy in his shoulder.

"Oi, you three finished gossiping yet?"

"Yes, Hokoji-sensei," Hitomi quickly answered.

"Good. Because we're here."

Halting several miles outside of Konoha, the four hurriedly began to set up a makeshift campsite. Once Hitomi and Takeo had finished gathering a few broken branches for firewood, Hokoji gathered everyone around the aging tree stump, where he repeated the briefing for their mission. The feudal lord of their country had dispatched a messenger requesting an investigation into the recent string of robberies that had made traveling to Konoha a hazardous trip. The few witnesses that had escaped with their lives claimed that the bandits had attacked them while they were resting within the forests along the northern road, which was why the four of them were now setting up a decoy site.

"So," Hokoji continued, wiping his glasses clean with his baggy sleeve. "Hitomi and Katai, you two will play the part of the travelers. Just act normal and try to relax. Takeo, you and I will take cover in the trees on opposite sides of the camp. That should give us a complete view of the site so we can immediately spot the bandits. Once they're in position, I'll signal you, Takeo, at which point you will join Hitomi and Katai on the ground. After I've secured the surrounding area of any possible "surprises" I'll join in, too. Everyone understand?"

"Yes," the three Genin nodded.

"Good. Let's go then," Hokoji commanded as he dashed away into the treetops.

"Lucky," Katai sighed as he sat down and began to stack the wood.

"Yeah, yeah," Takeo replied. "You two have fun."

"Be careful, Takeo," Hitomi said as he turned.

"You too," he echoed, leaping away into the dense canopy opposite his sensei.

Landing gracefully on a large branch roughly forty feet from the forest floor, Takeo turned and double-checked that the campsite was still visible. Once Hitomi and Katai were within sight, Takeo plopped down onto the branch, dangling a leg over either side. He pulled his bow over his head and left shoulder and set it carefully in front of him. It wobbled back and forth a bit on the rounded surface of the branch before Takeo swung a leg up and pinned his bow beneath it. Tilting his head back against the trunk, Takeo sat patiently waiting. And waiting. An hour had passed and there had been no sign of the thieves. Growing bored, Takeo couldn't help but let his mind wander. He found himself daydreaming of himself, a few years older and out on his own, free from his father's oppressive watch. He imagined himself leading his own team of fresh-faced Genin on a mission. As he began to picture their eager smiling faces, one of them began to whistle. It took a moment before Takeo realized that that it was someone else whistling.

"Hokoji-sensei," he said, startled from his daze.

Whipping his head around, Takeo saw his two teammates surrounded by half a dozen large, burly, and angry-looking men. Their weapons drawn, Katai and Hitomi prepared to attack. Takeo fumbled with his bow and nearly let it fall to the ground. As he hurriedly withdrew an arrow, the echoes of the battle below resonated in his ears. A few loud groans from the subdued bandits accompanied the clang of Hitomi's kunai and the thud of Katai's staff against their opponents' weapons. Hitomi's sudden cry quickened Takeo's pace and he hurriedly drew back an arrow to fire. A towering muscular man had knocked Hitomi's kunai away with the curved blade of his sword, and he was now moving in for the kill. Takeo hastily took aim and let his arrow fly, waiting to see the man fall to the ground. He waited, his stomach tensely churning as his heart thumped wildly. And he waited.

"Hitomi!" Katai warned, fending of an attacker.

Hitomi's agonizing scream repeated over and over in Takeo's wide-eyed head. He watched Hitomi collapse to the ground clutching at her side. Unsatisfied with simply wounding her, the man flipped his sword around so the blade was facing down. Takeo frantically reached for another arrow, but knew he'd never make it in time. He immediately dropped everything and leapt to the forest floor, racing over to his wounded teammate.

"No—" he started to yell.

"Tokken! _(Tackle Charge)_"

Rushing out of the bushes, Hokoji barreled down on the man and drove his shoulder into his gut. The bandit flew back, blood coughing up from his mouth, as he crashed hard through several trees before collapsing in a heap on the dirt. The two remaining bandits fled after seeing Hokoji's strength, leaving their four unconscious accomplices behind. Katai knelt down, trying to catch his breath as he glanced worryingly over towards Hitomi. Hokoji quickly checked on him before rushing over to Hitomi's side. Takeo, meanwhile, had already beaten him there. Beneath her blood-covered hands, a long deep gash bled from Hitomi's stomach. Sweat began dripping down her ashen face and her eyes struggled to stay alert and open.

"Hitomi," Takeo said sadly.

He took the end of the long white sash wrapped around her waist between his teeth and tore a long strip from it, which he quickly compressed against her wound.

"Takeo," Hokoji started. "How is she?"

Looking at her now unconscious body, Takeo shook his head. He pressed down harder on the bloodied clothe with is hands, which were now covered with Hitomi's blood as well.

"We need to get her back to the hospital, now," Hokoji said, scooping Hitomi up in his arms. "You and Katai secure these four."

"But—"

"Do it, Takeo," Hokoji ordered. "Finish the mission, then you can meet me at the hospital."

Takeo was left speechless and holding the bloodied strip of clothe as his sensei sped away towards Konoha. Katai slowly sauntered over beside him.

"How's Hitomi?" he meekly asked. "Takeo? Takeo?"

Takeo managed to fill Katai in as the two of them quickly tied up and secured their captives and raced back home, signaling an ANBU squad to fetch the bandits. It seemed to take forever for the two to arrive back in Konoha, where they swiftly ran to the hospital. Inside, they found Hokoji speaking with one of the nurses. Both Takeo and Katai sat, until Hokoji led them down the hall where they sat, patiently waiting.

With his head hanging sadly between his knees, Takeo caught sight of the faint green aura emanating from the crack between the double doors. He knew the massive amount of healing chakra that had to be generating on the other side. The hospital's top medical specialists argued and yelled as several nurses rushed past into the emergency treatment room behind him. Angrily clenching his teeth, he fought back the tears as vivid images from the disastrous battle flooded his mind. He collapsed to his knees, pounding his bloodstained fists into the floor. The torn white cloth he held in his right hand was almost completely discolored, dyed a deep red by the large amount of blood it had absorbed. He growled in anguish as he tossed the bloody memento away.

"Takeo!"

Takeo's sorrow-filled eyes spotted his father approaching. He immediately looked away, ashamed of the story he'd have to tell him.

"What happened?" Keigo asked, sitting down beside him.

Takeo couldn't make himself answer. He couldn't admit his guilt in Hitomi now facing death.

"Dad, I…" Takeo stumbled.

Suddenly, the doors behind him swung open, and several nurses emerged with satisfied faces.

"She's stable," one of them said. "Hokoji-san, you managed to control the bleeding enough during transport…at least enough so that we could still heal her.

"Can we see her?" Katai asked.

"Only for a moment," the nurse answered. "Once her family arrives, we'll have to ask you to leave for a bit."

Katai nodded as he and Hokoji stepped inside.

"Go on," Keigo nodded. "You can tell me later."

Takeo thankfully got up and joined his team inside Hitomi's room. He was glad to see the color had returned to her face. He tried to keep himself from staring at the large bandage wrapped around her midsection as he approached her bed.

"Hey guys," Hitomi weakly smiled.

"Hey," Takeo and Katai replied.

The room remained fairly silent for a few minutes.

"…I'm sorry, Hitomi…"

Takeo gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself from crying.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I should have had that guy, I just…I'm sorry."

"It's…okay…" Hitomi tried to assure him.

She briefly glanced at him, before coughing and clutching her wound.

"You should rest, Hitomi," Hokoji told her. "Let's go, boys."

Katai waved briefly before turning along with Hokoji and moving towards the door. Takeo moved a step or two behind them, turning to look at Hitomi.

"I'm really sorry," he repeated.

"Yeah, yeah…" Hitomi smiled forcibly, closing her eyes.

Takeo stopped and looked closely at his injured teammate. He clenched his blood red fists tightly. Outside Hitomi's room, Keigo had begun speaking with Hokoji before Takeo interrupted them.

"Dad…Hokoji-sensei…" he said glumly. "I'm sorry…it's my fault…what happened to Hitomi. The guy that hurt her, I…I had a clear shot at him, but…but I missed. If I had been more focused, I could have stopped him…"

Keigo and Hokoji glanced at one another.

"I see," Hokoji nodded. "I realize this will be difficult for you to understand now, but believe me when I say it could have been worse. Hitomi isn't the first Genin to be seriously injured on a mission, and she won't be the last. Likewise, you aren't the first Genin to make a critical mistake, and you certainly won't be the last."

"As bad as the situation is, at least maybe you've learned something from this incident," Keigo added. "This is something that you should always remember, Takeo, the pain of seeing a comrade injured and on the brink of death. Doing so…makes it easier to make sure it never happens again."

Takeo nodded, catching a glimpse of the bloodstained piece of Hitomi's sash lying on the floor. He knelt down and picked it up.

"Don't worry," he dismally responded, tying the dark red rag around his left arm. "I'll never forget."

Takeo fidgeted with the armband. From now on, every time he raised a bow in his left arm, he'd see the reminder of this day, making sure he could never forget this pain or this regret. He'd never let anyone down again…

_(END FLASHBACK) -------------------------------------------------------------- (END FLASHBACK) _

Kaori and Kintarou stood speechless as Takeo finished his story. Neither of them could muster a word.

"Oi, you guys are creeping me out," Takeo said. "Quit staring at me."

"Uh…sorry," Kintarou apologized. "It's just that, well…"

"We didn't know you were carrying something like that with you," Kaori finished.

"It's no big deal," Takeo hastily replied, walking up next to them. "Happened over four years ago. A lot of Genin get injured on missions…it's nothing too special."

"Takeo-kun…" Kaori started.

"Are we going or not?" Takeo sighed, tossing a light blue jacket over his dampened black shirt.

"Yosh," Kintarou nodded. "We'll be in Geyser before you know it."

Kintarou began marching off.

"After you, _Kaori-san_," Takeo smirked.

Kaori wrinkled her nose. "Thanks, _Noppo_."

Kaori fell in line beside Kintarou. Takeo paused, dejectedly rubbing a few fingers over his armband and double-checking the knot again.

"Never again," he muttered to himself, before jogging ahead to catch up with the others.


	7. Chapter 7: Atsukami Ren

**A/N: It's a little late, but here's chapter 7 (would have had it up sooner, but I got pretty busy with the new semester starting...) As always, Read & Review...**

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**Chapter 7**

"**Atsukami**** Ren"**

"Uh…excuse me…pardon me…sorry…"

Kaori's pretty face wrinkled into a look of frustration as her polite attempts to squeeze through the huddled masses failed, leaving her stranded amidst the mob of people surrounding the village square. She balanced herself on her tiptoes, trying to crane her head above the taller men around her. Unable to see anything beyond the back of their heads, Kaori dejectedly groaned, blowing a few wisps of her unkempt hair from her eyes. She was growing more irritated at her teammates for leaving her in this situation, and finally began to force her way out of the crowd. After a few polite shoves and several not so polite elbows, she eventually emerged from the pack and made it to the bubble of open space nestled in the center of the busy square. The eager group of merchants and customers behind her, she began scanning around the area and quickly caught sight of Kintarou's massive figure hovering above a few villagers. She angrily marched towards him, knowing Takeo was probably already there.

"So nothing?" Kintarou frowned, turning his head as he noticed Kaori approaching.

"Nope, no sign of him yet," Takeo replied.

Kaori pushed herself between the two to interrupt.

"Where have you two been?" she hissed.

"Hm? Scouting around for Ren-san," Kintarou answered. "That's what we agreed to, Kaori-san, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," she fumed. "But you guys left me in the worst spot. Trying to find him at the merchant's corner is almost impossible. There were so many men around, I couldn't – shut up, Takeo-kun – that I couldn't get a good enough look at them."

Takeo had opened his mouth to speak, but an instinctive elbow from Kaori cut him off before he began.

"We haven't had any luck either," Takeo said with a grin.

"It's five minutes after noon," Kintarou commented. "He has to be around here somewhere."

After several rough days of walking through the Earth Country's rocky terrain, the trio had finally arrived in the small trade village of Geyser earlier that morning. Trying to avoid drawing any unwanted attention, they had agreed not to use any ninja skills while inside the Earth Country's borders. Unfortunately, this made the journey to Geyser longer and made searching for the defector, Atsukami Ren, even harder.

"Come on, Kintarou, just give me a minute to use Katsugan," Takeo prodded. "I'm sure I can find him."

"No," Kintarou replied. "We're supposed to avoid suspicion. If any other shinobi are around, they're sure to notice you using that jutsu. Someone standing in the middle of the street with his eyes closed in concentration is sure to draw attention."

"We're also supposed to meet the guy at noon," Takeo reminded him. "It's already past that, and the longer it takes to find him, the worse off we are, right?"

"Kintarou-kun, maybe you should let him," Kaori suggested.

Kintarou sighed heavily as Kaori's pleading eyes looked up at him.

"Fine," he relented. "But do it up there."

Takeo followed Kintarou's pointing finger and shielded his eyes. The midday sun shone almost directly above a tall water tower rising above the center of the town. Most of the small platform surrounding the large wooden barrel of water was within the bright glare of the sun. Anyone looking up at the tower from below would definitely have a hard time discerning anyone up there. Takeo turned and nodded at his team leader. He glanced around briefly and then calmly approached the splintered ladder climbing up the tower's supports. Kaori and Kintarou, meanwhile, agreed to split up and continue the search from the ground (after Kaori volunteered Kintarou to search the merchant's corner this time).

Takeo paused a step short of the ladder and casually leaned against one of the moldy wooden beams that somehow supported the heavy container of water. When he was sure no one was looking, he quickly turned and lifted a sandaled foot onto the first step, pressing down with most of his weight to make sure it wouldn't crack. Once he was satisfied, Takeo took a final glance over his shoulder and then scurried up the ladder to the top. A minute later, as Kintarou and Kaori continued to look below on the ground, Takeo found himself gazing out across dozens and dozens of villagers. He brushed a few beads of sweat from around his eyes and tugged at his jacket, trying to draw in a cool rush of air to his suffocating body. The faint blue aura enveloping his eyes grew brighter as the people on the streets a hundred feet below began to come into focus. Takeo glanced from head to head and from face to face, looking for the tiniest bit of green from the leaf Ren was supposed be wearing. After scanning through nearly half of the townspeople gathered in the square, he came upon a tall, lanky man sitting sadly beneath the overhang of one of the shops. The man's bushy silver hair made Takeo chuckle a bit, until Takeo's eyes stopped on the torn and shriveled leaf fastened to the collar of the man's brown sleeveless vest. Immediately, Takeo studied his location and then hurried to the ladder, being careful to release the chakra from his eyes before descending. He found the shop again once he was on the ground and cautiously made his way over to the man's location. As he stopped a foot or so away, the older man gazed his glassy hazel eyes up at Takeo, watching him yawn and gently fall back against the side of the shop.

"Geez, it's hot," Takeo exhaled wearily.

"Mmm…" the man grunted in agreement.

"Yeah, it's no wonder that leaf on your collar is all shriveled up," continued Takeo. "I bet it was nice and green though."

Hearing this, the man nervously rose to his feet and moved within inches of Takeo's face.

"You're from Konoha?" he whispered.

"Yeah. I'm your escort, Ren-san," Takeo replied softly.

Relaxing a bit, the man looked away and shot worried glances in either direction. He hurriedly turned back to Takeo.

"Just you?" he asked.

"No, there's three of us," Takeo answered. "We should hurry and find my teammates, and then get out of here."

"I agree," Ren nodded.

Gingerly leaning down to grab the tiny satchel on the ground, Ren paused a moment to gaze around at the village. Takeo nudged him and then the two headed back towards the open area within the village square. On cue, Kintarou and Kaori both returned a few seconds later. With the four of them finally gathered, Takeo briefly introduced Ren to the others.

"It's a pleasure, Ren-san," Kintarou said politely. "I think it's best if we head back to Konoha immediately. There is no telling who may be on to your defection."

"Oi, relax Kintarou," Takeo murmured. "Give the old guy a bit to rest."

"There's no time to rest," he responded. "It's much safer to leave immediately. The longer we stay, the greater the chance there is for danger."

"Ah, Kintarou-san," Ren said, noticing their debate. "I would like to stop by my house to get my things."

"You didn't bring them with you?" Kintarou asked incredulously.

"Nope, sorry," Ren replied. "I didn't think it would seem very normal if I was sitting around town with my bags packed, so to speak."

"I see," Kintarou sighed. "Well, we really can't afford to go and retrieve them. I can assure you that we have ample supplies for the return journey."

Kintarou tapped gently against the large pack strapped to his back.

"I understand…" Ren sadly nodded. "But if I could just grab a few personal things, then. I promise it won't be much."

"I'm sorry, Ren-san, but I'm afraid we can't—"

"Lighten up, Kintarou," Takeo said gently. "It's only a few extra minutes, right? Ren-san is doing us a favor, putting his own life on the line for Konoha's sake. The least we can do is let him take a few of his memories back with him."

"But…"

"Kintarou-kun," Kaori began. "He's right. It won't be too much longer."

"Fine," Kintarou relented. "Lead the way, Ren-san."

"Thank you," Ren smiled.

"Let's just hurry," Kintarou replied.

Ren nodded and began leading the three Konoha Chuunin out of the village square, passing carefully through the heavy traffic of villagers. Politely clearing a path through the crowd, the four silently marched behind Ren. At the back of the line, Kaori suddenly turned. She lightly tapped Takeo on his shoulder to draw his attention, but he was already looking at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I-I felt someone following us," Kaori quietly said.

Takeo glanced around behind her. "Don't see anyone."

"Obviously they're not going to follow us in plain sight," Kaori snapped.

"Want me to take up the rear?" Takeo offered.

"Thanks, but I can handle it," Kaori stated. "I don't need your help."

"Okay, okay. I'll keep my eyes open," Takeo replied. "And I suppose I should tell our _leader_."

Takeo quickly whispered Kaori's worries to Kintarou, who immediately had his "I told you so" expression out for Takeo to see. He motioned for Takeo and Kaori to continue on as if they hadn't noticed. As the four reached the outskirts of the village, Ren led them down a small gravel path towards a tiny brick house. Stopping just outside of what remained of a narrow rock wall, Kintarou bent down to one knee as Takeo and Kaori walked past. After fiddling around with something by his sandals, he joined the others in front of the building. The three were less than impressed with Ren's home.

"You live here?" Takeo asked as Ren made his way past them.

"Yes," Ren nodded. "I know it's not much, but it's more than enough for me."

"You live by yourself, then?" Kintarou inquired.

"Oh yes," Ren immediately answered. "Thankfully it'll only take me a few minutes to gather my things."

"I'll help you, if you'd like," Kaori offered.

"That would be great," Ren smiled.

"Takeo and I will keep guard outside," Kintarou called.

Ren led Kaori inside his small home while Takeo and Kintarou started pacing around the tiny yard surrounding the house. Kintarou busily swiveled his head back and forth, keeping watch over the majority of the front. Takeo hopped gently onto the remnants of the rock wall and began scanning around Ren's residence, too. The heat was still getting to him, and he brushed his forehead dry with his jacket sleeve. A soft breeze cooled his skin and he flipped a few locks of his sweat-dampened hair from his eyes. As he did, he caught a glimpse of several pale yellow sheets flapping gently in the wind. Takeo turned his attention towards the short stretch of rope tied between a young tree sapling and the side of Ren's house.

"Still did his laundry," Takeo laughed quietly.

He wiped a few more droplets of sweat from around his eyes and began to turn. A flash of color stopped him. Takeo looked again at the garments hanging on the line and glimpsed something small and red beneath one the sheets. Slowly, he walked over beside the laundry hanging neatly on the line and immediately saw what had captured his gaze. The brief gust had ruffled a few of the sheets enough where the item they'd been concealing was no longer covered. Hanging between a pair of the sheets was a faded red piece of clothing, which Takeo took in his hands.

"A skirt?" he muttered.

Leaving it hanging on the clothesline, Takeo guardedly headed around the side of Ren's house. Kaori's gentle voice floated through the half open window as he walked past. He glanced inside briefly, seeing Kaori and Ren both digging through a large trunk, but stopped when he felt something beneath his feet. Takeo bent down and clutched the raggedy looking figure lying half-hidden within the patch of dead grass. After checking the object over, he hurriedly returned to the front where Kintarou was still vigilantly keeping watch. Takeo motioned over towards him and Kintarou reluctantly moved beside him.

"What is it, Noppo?" he asked. "We should be keeping an eye out for trouble."

"I know," Takeo nodded. "Just thought that as team leader, you might want to know what I found."

Takeo shoved the object in his grasp into Kintarou's bandage-wrapped hand.

"A-A doll?" Kintarou frowned. "I hardly see why this toy is so important. This mission isn't the time for jokes."

"Listen," Takeo sighed. "I found it behind Ren's house. I also saw a girl's skirt hanging with his laundry on the side of the house."

Kintarou furrowed his brow and began scratching the black scruff on his chin.

"Ren-san said he lived alone, though."

"That's why I brought this to show you," Takeo said. "It seems a girl lives here, too."

"Why would Ren-san lie about something like this?" Kintarou wondered aloud.

"We can ask him," Takeo answered, pointing at Ren and Kaori exiting the house.

"All set," Kaori announced as she and Ren walked towards them.

"Good," Kintarou replied. "Ren-san, Takeo and I are curious about something."

"What is that, Kintarou-san?" Ren inquired.

"Are you certain you're the only resident of this establishment?"

Ren's eyes nervously glanced around. He shook his head and forcibly laughed a bit. Kaori looked puzzled as both Takeo and Kintarou moved in front of Ren.

"Ren-san?" Takeo said.

"He's gonna blow it," a hoarse voice said angrily.

Hidden within a group of tall, thorny shrubs, several shadows shifted around, beginning to stand.

"Relax," a gruff voice urged. "Ren knows what happens if he doesn't do his part. And he wouldn't do anything to put them in danger."

The figures camouflaged from sight looked on as Ren stood silent. Sweat pouring down his anxious face, Ren avoided Kintarou's gaze.

"Ren-san," Takeo repeated. "Who else lives here?"


	8. Chapter 8: Confrontation

**A/N: Next chapter is here, surprisingly faster than I thought. As usual please Read & Review - for all thepeople who've at least clicked onthe story (thank you for that), only one or two have been nice enough toleave reviews...**

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**Chapter 8**

"**Confrontation"**

"What's going on?" Kaori asked.

Neither Takeo nor Kintarou said a word. Both of them stood calmly waiting for Ren's response, their arms folded across their chests in anticipation.

"No one…" Ren forcibly smiled. "No one else lives here. I-I said I lived by myself, remember?"

"Takeo-kun, Kintarou-kun," Kaori started. "What's the problem?"

"Takeo found evidence suggesting that someone else lives here," Kintarou revealed.

"Evidence of who?" Kaori questioned.

"A girl," Takeo stated, which made Ren look away in panic. "I found a skirt hanging with Ren's laundry on the side of the house. I also found that doll lying in the grass out back."

Takeo gestured towards the tattered figure still clutched in Kintarou's massive hand.

"I…don't know where the doll came from, I assure you," Ren said. "It's possible one of the villager's children dropped it while they were playing."

"And the skirt?" Kintarou replied with condescending eyes.

"Well, I'm not…everyone does their washing along the well near the square, so it just got mixed in with my things," explained Ren.

"But, Ren-san," Kaori interjected. "If you were planning on leaving with us, why would you bother to do laundry?"

Takeo and Kintarou glanced at one another, both sharing the same feelings of embarrassment for not thinking about that.

"Uh, that's simply because I…I mean it makes it seem like…"

Ren paused and dropped remorsefully to his knees.

"I'm sorry," he mournfully mumbled.

"For what?" Kintarou questioned. "What's really going on? Why did you lie to us?"

"Kintarou, drop your pack," Takeo said quickly, unzipping his jacket and tossing it to the ground. "I'm going to scout the perimeter."

Kintarou slid the hefty pack from his shoulders and placed it carefully on the hardened soil. Takeo removed the straps binding his heavy bow to the backpack, and began rummaging through it, finally securing his equipment pouch and empty quiver. Taking out the dozen or so arrows from a sturdy narrow side pocket, he filled the leather quiver and swung it back in its familiar spot over his head and left shoulder. With his bow in hand, Takeo grasped the forehead protector tied around the strap across his chest.

"Back in a flash."

"What about your Chuunin vest?" Kintarou started to ask.

But he was gone. In one swift motion, Takeo dashed out of sight. Still trembling on his knees, Ren could hardly speak.

"Ren-san," Kaori comforted. "Please tell us what is really happening."

"I can't," he stumbled, his voice obviously on the verge of cracking.

"If you truly wish to come with us to Konoha, you have to," Kintarou replied. "Or is it that you do not really possess the information we were told you do?"

"No, it's…I'm sorry, Kintarou-san. I didn't have a choice…they said-"

A loud explosion drowned out Ren's last few words. Kintarou and Kaori quickly turned towards the front entrance beside the remnants of the rock wall, where a large tower of red smoke was billowing upwards.

"Company," Kintarou scowled.

"You set up an explosive tag?" Kaori asked, readying herself.

"Yes," Kintarou nodded, kneeling cautiously down beside the pack carrying their gear. "I set it up when we arrived after Takeo mentioned your concerns. Be ready, Kaori-san."

The crimson-colored smoke had barely cleared when four figures emerged from within it. Both Kintarou and Kaori immediately noticed the forehead protectors wrapped around each of their heads. Engraved on the glistening metallic bands was a symbol neither would forget. Not after witnessing firsthand the events of the previous Chuunin Exam.

"Shinobi from the Sound," Kintarou growled.

"You'll forgive us if we skip introductions," a tall brawny shinobi called, motioning to his three companions. "Ren, you disappoint us. You realize what will happen now, don't you?"

Ren stood up instantly. "Please, no…I beg you…"

"Don't blame us," a woman with deep red hair countered. "You failed in your part of the agreement, and now I have to get my beautiful hands dirty eliminating these kids."

"Kids?" Kaori spat.

Rushing in front of Kintarou, Kaori swiftly formed several hand seals. A powerful surge of chakra flowed up from her feet as the dead blades of grass scattered about in the yard flew towards her outstretched hands. Without stopping, they circled around Ren, Kintarou and Kaori, creating a barrier between them and the Sound ninjas and shielding them from sight.

"Guard Ren-san," Kintarou ordered.

"Right," Kaori nodded.

Outside the barrier, the four Sound ninjas prepared their attack. The tall white-haired man stood patiently at the back alongside a stockier bald shinobi wearing a set of thick goggles. The red-haired woman moved forward, following a scrawny man with long tangled black hair.

"Get rid of that weak jutsu," the woman ordered.

"Okay," the man meekly replied.

He reached behind his head and removed a massive sword from a holster on his back, though it was a stretch to call it a sword. The oddly curved blade was without a single sharpened edge; several small holes lined the outside of the sword instead. The hilt was abnormally large, easily three or four hands long. Clutching the strange weapon in his hand, the small man suddenly lurched forward.

"Ninpou, Kaze Oogama _(Ninja Art, Wind Scythe)_"

A strange whistling sound escaped the porous blade until several jets of air violently hissed out from the top of the weapon, creating a sickle-shaped stream of high-speed escaping air. The extreme force tossed the man's hair all over as he raced towards Kaori's barrier. With one calm easy motion, he swung the sword down into the swirling cyclone of grass, immediately breaking the barrier and tossing the three inside off their feet. Hundreds and hundreds of grass blades hit the ground, fluttering down on either side of the large deep crevice created by the force of the weapon.

"Impressive, isn't it?" the woman chuckled to the recuperating Kintarou and Kaori as she dashed beside the scrawny Sound shinobi. "By channeling chakra through the hilt into the hollow blade, he can force air out of any of these holes at extremely high speeds into magnificent and deadly forms of wind weapons. That pathetic barrier was easily broken by its weakest form."

Still grinning cockily, the crimson-haired woman approached Ren and his two protectors. With uncanny speed, she thrust both hands into her long violet trench coat and withdrew them, clutching a long pointed sai in each one. She twirled them around her middle fingers a few times as she sneered at Kaori and Kintarou. As the two of them rose to their feet, the woman charged at them. Ren's panic-stricken face followed her movements as she closed in. Kaori leapt quickly to the side, avoiding the sai slashed towards her. Kintarou responded by moving in to defend her, but was soon on the receiving end of two sudden kicks to his knees, which buckled beneath him. Kaori leapt high in the air, flipping over the woman, and landed in front of her fallen team leader. She had barely lifted her head before the redheaded kunoichi from the Sound thrust each sai into her chest. And then through her chest, slowly twisting the long razor-sharp prong as it slid in. Kaori's body fell limp against the woman's weapons, the point of each weapon protruding from between Kaori's shoulder blades. The woman's bloodthirsty eyes unexpectedly began glancing around as her face contorted into an angry sneer. She stared intently at the entrance wounds, where no blood was flowing. Only small specks of dirt and dead bits of grass flaked off from around the marble-sized holes in Kaori's chest.

"What's this?" she irately muttered.

"Grass clones," Kintarou grinned. "Courtesy of our Genjutsu expert.

Concealed atop the roof of the tiny brick house, Kaori, Kintarou, and Ren stood and stepped into the view of the Sound ninja below.

"Call me a kid," Kaori scoffed. "Hana Buyou no Jutsu! _(Flower Dance Technique)_"

Holding out her petite hands, Kaori softly spread open her palm, revealing several dozen sakura petals, which began floating upwards. Aglow with a fiery aura, they began to swirl around her slender body. Standing beside her, Kintarou and Ren watched as she gracefully twirled around, her arms and legs flowing smoothly into an angelic dance. As she moved, the flower petals began mimicking her.

"Impressive isn't it?" Kaori mocked.

Before the woman could answer, Kaori folded both arms behind her back and then thrust them forward. The glowing sakura petals followed suit, rushing forward towards the stunned Sound kunoichi below.

"Only a Leaf ninja would use something as silly and useless as flower petals," the red-haired woman smirked.

Kaori ignored her and spread her hands out wide, leading the petals into a crescent shape surrounding the woman on the ground. She lifted on arm into the air as she began to spin. She gently dropped the index finger on her raised hand down. Instantly, one of the sakura petals encircling the Sound kunoichi flew towards her. She caught sight of it briefly and turned. It whizzed past her, leaving a sharp stinging pain on her rosy cheek. She instinctively brought a hand to her injured face, but recoiled when she felt the liquid running down her cheek. She lowered her eyes to the remnants of several drops of blood smeared on her fingertips. Her blood.

"You!" she seethed.

"You were saying?" Kaori retorted, preparing to slice through the air with her elevated arm.

The scrawny shinobi with the strange sword spun and immediately rushed the house. He lifted his weapon high into the air again to strike.

"Ninpou, Kaze O—"

"Kuma Tsume no Jutsu! (_Bear Claw Technique)_"

Charging forward, Kintarou's outstretched hands began to glow with a dull chakra aura, until blue-tinted claws appeared on the backs of each hand. He reached the Sound ninja with the lethal wind sword and caught the curved blade between his thick chakra claws before any air could burst through. Taken aback, the skinny shinobi brought his weapon back and lunged forward. Deflecting the attack, Kintarou roared viciously as he countered with an open palm thrust to the man's gut. The Sound ninja's narrow face lurched forward, only to be quickly met by a left hook. Kintarou's razor-sharp chakra claws caught his face, and the man's agonizing groan startled the other Sound shinobi. He flew back ten feet, landing violently behind the redheaded woman ensnared in Kaori's Hana Buyou. Cradling his injured face in his hands, the deep gashes in his cheeks and forehead began bleeding profusely. The scrawny man stumbled backwards toward the tall ivory-haired shinobi and his partner, who had remained motionless. Seeing this, the crimson-haired kunoichi shot nervous glances in every direction in an effort to escape. She glimpsed Kaori forcefully bringing her hand down, but stopped her movements when an earsplitting scream reverberated around her. She held her hands tightly to her ears. In the yard surrounding the house, Kintarou, Kaori and Ren did the same.

"Oi, Oi," the man with white hair chided, clearing his throat. "You're giving the Hidden Village of Sound a bad image, Mokina. Being caught in a simple Genjutsu like that."

The man stepped forward towards the woman, his husky counterpart in step behind him.

"You allowed yourself to be distracted by her movements," he continued, bending down and removing a handful of shuriken from the flower petals. "She used a Henge jutsu to transform these into petals and threw them out when she was spinning. Only these four could injure you. The rest are simply worthless flower petals."

Stomping down on the pink-colored mound, he stood back up and gathered his fellow Sound ninja beside him.

"This is taking too long," he sighed. "It's four against three, we have the…hmm…we're missing someone. Where's the skinny boy with the messy hair?"

Kaori, with Ren in her grasp, leapt down beside Kintarou. They looked at one another, wondering the exact same thing.

"Meh…whatever," the white-haired shinobi continued. "Doesn't matter. Oi, Oi…Ren…do you want us to kill you, too? It'd save you the trouble of offing yourself from guilt after we have to kill those two precious girls.

"Bandon, please…" Ren whimpered, shakily moving away from Kaori's protection.

"Is that a yes?" the man chuckled.

"Kumoya! _(Cloud Arrow)_"

The four Sound ninja turned at the voice behind them then quickly leapt away from the arrow speeding towards them. The dull, rounded tip shone with a powerful orb of chakra, which exploded when the arrow collided with the earth. A swirling gray mist enveloped the area, until it formed a thick smoky dark cloud, which made the visibility almost zero.

"Kemuriran. _(Smoke Sight)_"

A faint white color clouded over Takeo's eyes as he ran forward and into the soupy smokescreen. Outside, Kintarou and Kaori could only listen as a brief battle waged inside the cloud cover. The clang of kunai blade against kunai blade echoed above the brief moans and shouting as several of the Sound shinobi were obviously growing frustrated. The sounds abruptly stopped, and a figure flew up from the center of the smoky cloud, which was beginning to dissipate. He nimbly flipped over onto his feet and landed in front of Kintarou, Kaori, and Ren. Takeo wiped some blood from his shoulder and tugged at his red armband to secure it. As he lifted his head towards his teammates, the cloudiness in his eyes gradually vanished, and his sharp brown eyes peered straight back at them.

"Sorry I'm late."


	9. Chapter 9: Explosion

**A/N: Had a break from lab reports and research stuff for school and managed to finish chapter 9 (don't be surprised if its edited at some point, though) Enjoy...Read & Review...**

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**Chapter 9**

"**Explosion"**

Takeo glanced back towards the four Sound shinobi before loosening his grip on the kunai in his right hand, which he slid carefully back into the equipment pouch around his waist.

"Takeo-kun," Kaori sighed, her baby blue eyes showing relief.

"Guess I missed the fun," he replied, checking the small cut on his shoulder.

Kaori raised her hand and focused until the green aura of her medical jutsu illuminated it. She brought it up to Takeo's shoulder and gently traced her finger along the path of the wound until it sealed close.

"Thanks…" Takeo nodded.

"Always have to make an entrance," Kintarou grinned.

Takeo smiled back. "Can't let you two do all the work. Wouldn't look too good to Tsunade-sama for my ANBU application, would it?"

A high-pitched wail made the three of them cringe and look towards the vanishing cloud cover, where the Sound ninja angrily stood. Breathing heavily and holding several kunai wounds, they slowly sauntered towards the three ANBU-in-training and the old man behind them. Tossing his ivory-haired head back revealing a fairly long cut on his chin, Bandon coughed and wheezed a bit before spitting a mouthful of blood on the dirt. His stocky companion raised the goggles from his eyes to wipe the blood trickling down his forehead from the deep gash in his scalp. Mokina and the scrawny shinobi were both kneeling, obviously fatigued and out of breathe. Behind the Konoha trio, Ren was still shivering from fright, but had managed to hold it together long enough to speak.

"Please," he whimpered. "Kintarou-san, I…you must help me…I…"

"We will not let any harm come to you, Ren-san," Kintarou promised.

"No, that's—" Ren tried to continue.

"So…that makes three, then," Bandon called. "Now…as I was saying, it's four on three. I'm sick of these pointless delays."

Before he'd finished speaking, Takeo had withdrawn an arrow and had it aimed squarely at the Sound shinobi's heart. Kaori hurriedly removed a pair of kunai from her pouch and held them ready in each hand, staring intently at Mokina. The other two Sound ninja scowled at Kintarou, who was anxiously cracking his knuckles. The two sides stared each other down until the goggled Sound ninja leapt high into the air, pulling a giant shuriken from his pack. With one enormous heave, he spun it rapidly towards the ANBU hopefuls. Takeo and Kaori dashed to the side as Kintarou stepped in front. With one swift motion, he caught the shuriken in his hand and quickly whirled around to toss it back. But as he threw his arm forward to release it, the shuriken suddenly extended its four metal points down around Kintarou's arm; it's razor-sharp edges biting into the flesh on his forearm. As Kintarou flinched with the pain, the shuriken began to lose its shape, revealing itself as a coiled group of giant leeches.

"Oi, Kintarou," Takeo started.

"I'm fine," he grimaced. "Worry about them."

Takeo turned to see the other three Sound shinobi preparing to charge.

"Kaori, can you take care of those things?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah," she nodded. "No problem."

Takeo readied himself and fired several shots to delay the Sound ninjas' advance. Kaori rushed over to Kintarou, who had been forced down to one knee as the abnormally large creatures began draining him of vital plasma.

"It's not just blood those leeches are sucking," the goggled shinobi cackled with a raspy voice. "I created them especially for combat. You can feel it, right? They also drain chakra."

His shrill laughter rang loudly behind his fellow Sound shinobi, who despite Takeo's tactics, had begun to approach. Kaori concentrated hard, using a hand to surgically remove the leeches' mouths from Kintarou's forearm while simultaneously healing the wound with her other hand.

"K-Kaori-san," Kintarou said slowly. "It would be better if you helped Takeo with the other three. I'm not sure if he can deal with them alone."

"You're right, he probably can't," she responded. "But Takeo-kun will hold them off long enough for me to get rid of these things."

As Kaori worked on the final two leeches, Takeo drew back another arrow.

"Takeo-san, you can't stop all of them with one arrow," Ren gloomily warned. "You should guard your friends and leave me be."

"Hmph," Takeo smirked. "You wanna bet?"

"What…"

"Youkaiya! _(Ghost Arrow)_"

Takeo released the arrow, which radiated an eerie golden light. The arrow flew straight at the charging Bandon, who stepped away to avoid it. Suddenly, the glowing arrow shimmered and three more identical arrows appeared on either side. The Sound shinobi halted their advance to leap above now seven glowing arrows. With one final glimmer of golden light, the seven arrows multiplied again, with two arrows appearing above and below each of the seven. With thirty-five eerily shining arrows flying a few feet away, the Sound ninja tried desperately to dodge them. The scrawny shinobi held his sword up to deflect the arrows heading his way. His face shriveled into a contemptuous scowl as they passed straight through his sword and his body, leaving him unharmed. Mokina and Bandon both paused when they hit the ground and irately glanced at one another, watching several arrows pass through them and every other object they crossed until slowly fading from sight.

"Illusionary arrows," Bandon growled. "Very clever."

"Nice to be appreciated," Takeo glared back. "Oi, Kaori…finished yet?"

Kintarou agilely hopped over his head, with Kaori joining the two of them seconds later.

"What do you think?" she replied.

"I think the tall guy with white hair is mine," he said firmly, staring back into Bandon's green eyes.

"Kuma Tsume no Jutsu!"

Kintarou brought out his chakra claws again and charged headfirst towards the Sound ninja with the goggles and the black-haired man with the sword. Her crimson hair dangling over her eyes, Mokina sneered viciously at Kaori, who brought her kunai up in front of her face. The two kunoichi exchanged brief grins before rushing towards one another. Spinning the shaft of an arrow between two fingers, Takeo continued to stare down Bandon.

"I don't remember any Leaf shinobi being as resourceful as you," he called. "The ones I killed certainly weren't."

"That's what happens when you only target opponents weaker than you," Takeo retorted. "Which in your case is probably hard to do."

Bandon grunted and then leapt towards Takeo, who quickly followed him into the air. Exchanging and deflecting several blows with his bow, Takeo continued with the aerial assault until the two forced one another back to the ground. A few yards away, Kaori and Mokina danced and attacked in graceful style, neither managing to land even a scratch on the other. With one loud clang of steel, Mokina's sais and Kaori's kunai blades locked together. The two stared intently as each pushed with all of their strength to gain the upper hand. Their faces only inches apart, the two kunoichi literally butted heads as they finally broke the deadlock. Kaori wiped away the blood trickling down her forehead and immediately closed the wound with her medical expertise. Mokina sneered as she adjusted her forehead protector.

"That's what happens when you're more worried about messing up your hair then being prepared for battle."

Kaori gritted her teeth and rapidly tossed a handful of shuriken at her, then dashed in again to attack. Kintarou's loud roars drowned out the two girl's shouts as he fended off the remaining two Sound ninjas. Claws and hands outstretched, he lunged at the goggled shinobi, who leapt out of harm's way onto the ruinous rock wall around Ren's house. As Kintarou spun to pursue, the scrawny man cut him off.

"Ninpou, Kaze Muchi! _(Ninja Art, Wind Whip)_"

A fiery, stinging pain hit Kintarou's back as the chakra-driven high-speed air lashed across it. Kintarou growled and jumped high into the air. Raising both of his hands over his head, he snarled as he dropped down and forcefully smashed his fists into the ground.

"Hibiware Tekken! _(Fissure Fist)_"

The ground beneath him began to rumble and crack, the earth rattling attack knocking the scrawny ninja to the ground and crumbling the rock wall remains, which caused the hefty goggled shinobi to stumble headfirst in front of the debris.

"That was imp—"

Before he could finish, Kintarou was roaring down upon him. The sound of shattering glass and bones was muffled only by the man's own screaming as Kintarou speared his midsection and brutally drove him into the rubble. His broken goggles snapped free from his face, which had been severely cut up by the glass shards flying out after breaking. Kintarou stood quickly, panting and holding his tender back. He turned towards the remaining Sound ninja, leaving the unconscious one trapped in the rock wall remains. Observing with wide, unblinking eyes, Ren could only watch as Takeo, Kintarou, and Kaori managed to survive against the deadly shinobi from the Hidden Village of Sound. Suddenly realizing that neither side was giving him any attention, he cautiously began stepping back slowly away from the battle site his home had become. Inching farther and farther away, Ren eventually made it out of range of the fighting and then quickly took off running behind his house. The shinobi engaged in combat were nearly oblivious. Kintarou and the scrawny man continued back and forth, each matching the other's intensity and power. Kaori busily defended herself from Mokina's vicious barrage. Takeo, beginning to run low on arrows, began to charge in for close combat.

"Katon: Karyuu Endan _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Blast)_"

Takeo quickly halted and flipped back out of the path of the wall of fire approaching him. A screeching wail brought him to his knees as Bandon appeared behind him, his hideous metallic teeth glistening in his gaping mouth. Takeo struggled to his feet, trying to hold his ears; Bandon simply shook his head, smiled, and delivered a punishing roundhouse kick across his face, sending Takeo flying back a few feet. He felt the blood oozing from his swollen lip and stood up despite the nauseating feeling in his stomach and the loud ringing in his ears.

"How do you like my singing voice?" Bandon shrieked. "Mind numbingly beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Takeo struggled to reply. "I'll pass on the encore, though."

"Oi, Oi…not a music lover?" Bandon grinned. "Such a shame…"

As Takeo readied himself, grabbing the kunai from his pouch, Kintarou's shouting made him pause.

"Ren-san?" he yelled. "Kaori-san, Ren-san is missing."

Kaori turned, moving away from her opponent. "Where could he go?"

"I don't know," Kintarou replied. "But for the mission's sake we need to find him."

"I'm on it," she responded, turning to give chase.

"No!" Kintarou commanded. "If the Sound give chase, or if there are others nearby waiting, you won't be able to defend Ren-san and yourself. And as much as I hate to admit it, I am running low on chakra. If not for those leeches then maybe, but as it is, I am not sure how much longer I can last."

"So…" Kaori began.

"Noppo!" Kintarou called. "Ren-san has run off. You need to follow him."

Takeo turned and nodded, then immediately dove away to dodge the kunai Bandon had tossed at him.

"That's about enough," Takeo muttered, shoving his kunai back in and withdrawing an ornately decorated dagger from his pouch.

He quickly swiped the talon-shaped blade across his calloused left index finger and then smeared the blood along the line of strange symbols carved into the blade. He flung the dagger into the soil and glanced briefly at Bandon before forming five quick seals and thrusting his palm onto the ground beside it.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! _(Summoning Technique)_"

Within the large puff of smoke that appeared, a faint screech and the ruffling of feathers made Bandon pause. As the grayish mist cleared, a blue-feathered hawk stood perched upon the hilt of the dagger Takeo had thrown into the ground.

"I need you to follow the old man who took off…he should still be nearby," Takeo told it. "He has bushy silver hair and is wearing a green sleeveless vest."

The hawk flapped its wings in acknowledgement before taking to the air and flying up into the cloudless blue sky. It soared past Takeo and the other shinobi engaged in battle on the ground, circling overhead for a few moments before darting off in the same direction as Ren. Takeo rose and again faced off with Bandon.

"You're mistaken if you think you'll have the chance to follow your bird," Bandon cackled. "Your little tricks with your bow and arrow are over…"

"And your mistaken if you think all I do is play with my bow and arrow," Takeo calmly replied, yanking the fancy dagger from the soil and returning it to his pouch.

As Bandon grinned and moved to strike, Takeo dashed in straight towards him. Bandon's piercing shriek left Takeo's ears throbbing, but he withstood the pain long enough to counter.

"Tokken!"

With everything he could summon, Takeo rammed his shoulder into the Sound shinobi's gut, blasting him back off of his feet and sending him flying headfirst into the lone tree in Ren's yard. Takeo struggled for air and briefly massaged his aching shoulder. A thin trickle of blood oozed out from his ear; Bandon's destructive howling had no doubt shattered his eardrum and burst a few capillaries within the canal. Takeo shakily stood and glanced over to see Bandon hesitantly rising to his feet. Takeo began to approach him, knowing he had to hurry and finish this before he could go after Ren.

"Not bad…"Bandon gasped, discretely pulling something from the pack around his waist.

Bandon hastily threw down a small orb, which exploded into a foul-smelling gas that made Takeo cover his face. The noxious fumes seeped into his eyes as he began scanning around for any sign of Bandon. Choking back tears, Takeo speedily leapt into the air, forming several successive hand seals. Emerging from the cloud, Bandon smiled beneath the rubber gas mask across his face. He tossed it aside as the vapors faded, and anxiously looked around for Takeo. Despite multiple surveys of the area, Takeo was nowhere to be found.

"Running away like a coward?" shouted Bandon, a small snicker escaping his lips. "That's more like the Konoha shinobi I know…"

Still guardedly moving through the battleground that had once been Ren's yard, Bandon grew increasingly flustered. After circling back around to the tree where Takeo had knocked him, he paused in front of it. Suddenly, he felt something from behind grab his arms. He spun his head around and glimpsed a pair of piercing brown eyes staring back at him from the tree.

"How did y—" Bandon started

"Kamereon Kawa no Jutsu_ (Chameleon Skin Technique)_" Takeo quickly answered, his clothes and skin returning to their original colors.

Before Bandon could respond, he felt himself being lifted high into the air

"Hishoutaka…"

Takeo and Bandon flew higher, until Ren's house was barely the size of a pea. Locking his hands behind his opponents back, Takeo pinned Bandon's arms behind him as he flipped his feet up. The two began to descend face-first towards the earth below.

"…Kyuukouka! _(Soaring Falcon Dive)_"

The rush of wind during their freefall pushed Bandon's white hair back into Takeo's face. Between the ivory-tinted strands, Takeo saw the ground grow closer. Despite Bandon's repeated struggles, he could not break free, and could only watch through his wide, fear-filled green eyes as the two shinobi continued to dive. Clenching his teeth, Takeo braced himself for the impact. Bandon's wailing moans echoed behind him as he fell, until his head crashed into the land. The enormous impact left a small smoldering crater; lying beside it, Takeo gingerly rolled his head over to check on the Sound ninja who he had driven into the ground. Bandon, unconscious and obviously saddled with internal injuries and several broken bones, was lying face down in the shallow hole with his mouth hanging open. Takeo noticed several holes in his metal-lined mouth; several of Bandon's teeth had shattered.

"Thank God," Takeo mumbled, pushing himself up to one knee.

The sound of Bandon slamming into the ground had drawn the attention of the four other shinobi, who stopped attacking one another long enough to gaze in awe at the crater now decorating the front of Ren's yard. Kaori deflected a few more slashes from Mokina's sais before peering at her friend lying beside it.

"Takeo-kun," she whispered in awe.

"N-No way," Mokina said, gritting her teeth. "Bandon was taken out…"

On the opposite side of the crater, Kintarou and his opponent were both staring.

"I've never seen Noppo use that jutsu before," he mumbled under his breath.

"Wow…"the scrawny Sound shinobi said weakly.

Gathering what stamina he had left, Takeo pushed himself to stand. He scoured the skies for the hawk tracking Ren.

"Takeo-kun" shouted Kaori in between swiping at Mokina with a kunai. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he called back.

Takeo's head perked up as he heard the distant cry of the hawk, and he hurriedly ran off towards its location. Kintarou glimpsed him as he dashed past him.

"You better find Ren-san," he grinned. "And bring him back safe. The mission depends on you…"

Takeo half-smiled as he replied. "Yeah…I bet you're thrilled about that…"

Kintarou chuckled as he dove away from another wind attack.

Glancing towards the two kunoichi, Takeo caught Kaori's eyes and quickly nodded.

"Be back soon," he yelled.

"Right," she shouted back.

Takeo was soon out of sight as he rushed to catch up with Ren. Kaori leapt over the lunging Mokina after allowing her gaze to linger in the direction of her teammate.

"You'd better be…" she said quietly.


	10. Chapter 10: Rescue Effort

**A/N: chapter 10 is up...just as a note, it may be awhile between this and ch. 11 - busy week ahead with school and stuff...Enjoy. Read & Review...**

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**CHAPTER 10**

"**RESCUE EFFORT"**

Gasping for air and clutching at his aching sides, Ren continued to stare back over his shoulder. Despite his age and lack of physical training, he had managed to put a good amount of distance between himself and the two factions of shinobi battling at his home. Now, though, he was paying the price for his speed. Running along the uneven and rocky terrain beyond the back of his house had left his shins aching and his feet cramped and swollen. He was finding it harder and harder to forge ahead without stopping every minute or so to rest and catch his breath. When he finally reached the wide, rocky plateau a mile or so away, he was forced to take another of his breaks. Slouched over with his hands on his knees, Ren had spotted something out of the corner of his eye; something had flown straight up into the air above his house. With his aging hazel eyes squinting at the tiny dots soaring into the sky, he was sure he could make out a person in the blurry specks. He tried to continue on, but found himself unable to avert his gaze. His head turned over his shoulder and watched as the object halted its ascent and began spiraling straight down. Ren lost sight of the falling mass as it passed below a jagged cliff jutting out from the side of the rectangular plateau, but a distant booming sound and a faint eruption of dirt and debris told him that whatever had been diving down towards the ground had crashed heavily into it.

"I hope those kids are okay," Ren said to himself, tilting his tired torso back against a well-placed boulder. "I wish they hadn't been dragged into this…"

Beginning to feel the weight pressed upon him by his feelings of guilt for leading the three Konoha shinobi into the Sound's trap, Ren crumbled to his knees. Digging his calloused and soiled hands into the gravelly hillside path, he shut his teary eyes and hung his head between his trembling arms.

"Jana…Nanami…" he whispered.

Remaining in this mournful position for a moment, Ren concentrated his thoughts on them. Gradually, he rose to his feet and gathered himself, looking hard at the upward journey that lay before him. The plateau's unique position made it a dangerous climb, surrounded on two sides by a vast and seemingly bottomless canyon. The towering vertical northern face made the eastern side the only traversable one. It was on this side that Ren continued on, hiking up the winding trail leading to the top, until he paused as a beautiful blue-colored hawk swooped by. The bird's loud screech rang in his ears as he wiped the moisture from his hot and weary face. Shielding his eyes from the still-scorching sun, Ren looked up towards the top of the high-rising plateau. He stared longingly at the hook-shaped overhang extending out beyond the main structure and clenched his teeth. So many thoughts raced through his head as he readied himself for the trek upwards. He saw their faces, and he heard their frightened words. After several minutes of playing back images in his mind, Ren finally took his first few steps towards the top. As he moved, the scraping of feet against a few pebbles along the ground made him stop and quickly spin around, withdrawing a dull chipped knife from the satchel around his shoulder. Before he could act, a firm hand quickly grabbed hold of his wrist.

"Oi, easy Ren-san."

Ren shook his head. "Takeo-san?"

Takeo smiled briefly. "Relax. It's me, believe it or not."

Ren mouthed the words, but couldn't make himself produce the sounds.

"Why…I don't…how?" he sputtered.

"Kintarou noticed you took off during the battle," Takeo informed him, rubbing the freshly formed scab on his puffy lip. "Our mission is to escort you back to Konoha, which kind of makes you a pretty important guy, Ren-san. Whether or not you're lying about the information you have really doesn't matter. The mission says to bring you back, so like it or not, I have to protect you."

"But…" Ren tried to counter.

"Right. How did I find you?" Takeo said, giving a sharp whistle. "This guy."

Darting down towards his extended arm, the blue-winged hawk gently pulled up and landed near Takeo's shoulder. Ren looked in awe briefly as Takeo brushed a finger beneath the bird's beak, stroking its white-feathered neck.

"Aojiro followed you," Takeo explained. "He signaled me when he found you and I dashed here. You got pretty far, Ren-san, but it was easy to catch up with my speed as a shinobi."

"I see," Ren sighed as he finally found his voice. "I appreciate everything you've done, Takeo-san. Defending me from Bandon and his companions was very brave, but I can't go back with you. I couldn't possibly leave…them…"

"The girls?" Takeo knowingly asked.

"Yeah," he sadly nodded. "It's my fault they're in danger so…no, never mind."

"Ren-san?"

"Takeo-san, I'm sorry, but I can't go back with you. I can't abandon them, no matter how dangerous it might be. They're all I've got…"

"I understand, Ren-san, however—"

"No…you can't force me back. If you try and take me, I'll fight you. I won't go back without them!"

Takeo sighed. "No one's going to fight anyone…so ease up a bit. Why don't you at least tell me what's going on? Who are the girls they've got and what do the three of you have to do with the Hidden Village of Sound?"

Ren hesitated. Takeo's watchful eyes studied the older man as he considered his options.

"Fine," Ren eventually agreed. "They have…they took Nanami and Jana…my daughters."

Takeo's head perked up and he looked inquisitively back at Ren.

"They're not my real kids," Ren continued, guessing the answer to the question Takeo was about to ask. "About twelve years ago, I found Jana wandering through the mountains along the border, with Nanami hanging around her back. You can imagine my surprise at seeing this little six-year-old girl carrying an infant around by herself at night. When I took them both to the nearest town, Jana refused to speak and tried to continue on. They had been traveling awhile I assumed, so I managed to convince her to stay the night at the inn with me. I used to be quite the herbalist, gathering rare herbs and selling them all over to various countries and villages. At the time, I was still traveling around, so after resting for a few days, I told Jana that she and Nanami could travel with me until they found a place they wanted to stay. Eventually, Jana opened up and finally told me that their village had been destroyed, and that both of their parents had died in the destruction defending it from the invaders that had attacked. She'd wanted to stay, but several people came to take her and Nanami away. Jana said they looked really scary and like they were going to hurt them, so she took Nanami and ran."

"And you took them in, then," Takeo understood. "I can see why you want to get them back. They've been through a lot already."

"Yes," Ren glumly replied. "It wasn't easy, but over time Jana and Nanami and I grew pretty close. The girls wanted to stay with me and…and ever since, I guess we've become a family. I never had time for a wife or kids or anything, so I…I…"

"I get it, Ren-san," Takeo nodded. "But that doesn't really explain why the Sound would bother you."

"I-I can't be sure," Ren admitted. "But after I officially adopted Jana and Nanami, I began looking into the destruction of their village. I figured out which town they were from and discovered a lot of strange circumstances surrounding the whole event. Through some friends I had made in the feudal lord's service, I learned about a group of missing nin that supposedly were investigating the same incident. Then, about a year ago, I was traveling on what ended up being my last trade journey out of Earth Country. I had stopped at a busy merchant village along the Grass Country border and heard about this new Hidden Village of Sound. Several ninja wearing their symbol on their forehead protectors always stopped by my tent, as I was the only one selling the rare herbs and medicines they wanted. I remember one of them telling me about moving their base setups and other things that were probably none of my business. I usually tried not to pay any attention to them. From the way they acted and looked, I was afraid to do anything to make them angry or suspicious. But, on the last afternoon as I was packing up, I heard one man mention the name of Jana and Nanami's village. I tried my best not to look up, but I couldn't help myself. Another man wiped his glasses and calmly told the others to finish up and then mentioned something that made the other guys with him stop."

"What was that?" Takeo questioned.

"He said he knew who attacked Jana and Nanami's village," Ren sternly answered. "I think they caught me listening, because they turned and began walking away. But I managed to hear something before they left: Akatsuki."

"Akatsuki?" Takeo repeated. "Why does that sound familiar…"

"I had no idea what it meant," Ren added. "When I tried asking some of my friends and contacts I'd made traveling around, none of them knew either. Then, out of the blue, a strange white-haired man riding a giant toad appeared on my doorstep about a month ago, wanting to know what I knew. I wasn't sure what to do, but he claimed that he knew people and could provide me with protection if I needed it. I reluctantly agreed and told him what I knew. Then he said that he would arrange for a team of shinobi to guide me and the two girls back safely to Konoha."

"But that still doesn't quite—"

"The point is that I can't go back, Takeo-san," Ren reiterated. "It's my fault Jana and Nanami are in danger. I can't leave them…"

"Ren-san," Takeo responded, shaking his head. "I get the feeling you're holding something back…but I understand. Like I said, it really doesn't matter if you're lying about things or not. However, I'm under Kintarou's orders to follow you and bring you back."

"No! I wo—"

"So," Takeo quickly continued. "I suppose that if you were to keep going to find the girls, I would have no choice to follow you…and then bring you back. All three of you."

Ren sighed and finally smiled. "Thank you, Takeo-san."

"Yeah, yeah," Takeo said. "Kintarou's going to have a fit…"

"I'm positive that Bandon was holding them in his camp up there," Ren said, pointing at the curved cliff at the plateau's top.

"Long climb," Takeo commented. "Sure you can make it?"

"I'll be fine," assured Ren.

"Yosh," Takeo nodded. "One last thing then."

Removing a blank roll of parchment from his pouch, Takeo quickly scribbled down a few lines before tying the note around the leg of the hawk resting peacefully on his shoulder. With a quick nudge, Aojiro flapped his wings and briefly hovered above Takeo and Ren.

"Take it to Kintarou," Takeo called. "And then scram before he goes insane."

Screeching softly in reply, the bird flew again into the sky, heading back towards the direction of Ren's home and Takeo's two teammates.

"Let's go," Takeo advised. "I'll take the lead, Ren-san."

Ren nodded in agreement and fell in line behind Takeo as he began the march up the twisting pathway. Glancing back toward his home once again, Ren spotted Aojiro's blue-winged form slowly gliding away from their sight. The hawk's faint cry echoed through the rolling valley between the plateau and Ren's house, where the four remaining shinobi continued their drawn out battle. At the sound of Aojiro's cry, Kintarou turned his gaze towards the sky. Flipping back out of range of the scrawny dark-haired Sound ninja, he followed the bird as it dove straight at him. Holding an arm out, Kintarou allowed the hawk to rest and spotted the note bound to his leg. He quickly removed it with his free hand, flicked the rolled parchment open, and quickly read it:

_Yo, Kintarou. Found Ren. He's safe, don't worry. We're taking a quick detour before heading back though. And before you go off on another of your tirades, tell Aojiro his job is done. Later._

_Takeo_

Kintarou's jaw clenched as he crumpled Takeo's note.

"You never listen to anything I tell you to do," he muttered with annoyance.

"Kintarou-kun!" Kaori shouted. "Was that from Takeo-kun?"

"Yes," he quickly answered, eyeing his opponent before taking out a small scrap of his own parchment.

"Well?" Kaori anxiously asked.

"He found him," Kintarou responded. "But apparently he has decided to take a little detour before coming back."

"A detour?" Kaori exclaimed.

"Yes," Kintarou affirmed, quickly writing a response. "I imagine Ren-san went off by himself to save the girls the Sound are holding hostage. And I would guess that Noppo agreed to help him."

Kintarou hurriedly finished his note and affixed it to Aojiro's leg. Not looking too thrilled about relaying another message, the hawk ruffled his feathers and squawked as Kintarou gently tossed him back into the air, sending him back to Takeo.

"That baka…" Kaori frowned. "He'd better not do anything stupid."

"Problems, blondie?" Mokina snickered, interrupting them.

Kaori angrily spun and charged back in, her kunai outstretched. Kintarou spotted the scrawny Sound ninja approaching and growled.

"We cannot afford to waste any more time here," he roared, crouching down in an attack position. "Ninpou, Doubutsu Tootemu! (_Ninja Art, Animal Totem_)"

A savage look appeared on Kintarou's face as a violent chakra aura engulfed him.

"Washi. (_Eagle)_" he shouted, his eyes morphing into two piercing golden orbs.

The Sound shinobi charged, but was immediately halted by two kunai blades cutting through the tops of his sandals and slicing through his feet and into the ground. Unable to lift them, he quickly bent down to remove the kunai from each foot, wincing in pain as he wiggled one of the blades free.

"Harinezumi. (_Porcupine_)"

Kintarou dropped several narrow needles onto the chakra tail that had formed on his backside. With a quick jerk, the deadly quills burst out from the tail and flew straight at the Sound ninja, piercing his hands and arms. He cried out in pain, falling back onto his rear and struggling to quickly remove the stinging spines from his hands and the last kunai from his throbbing foot.

Kintarou glared at his weakened opponent. "Shika. (_Deer_)"

Two glowing blue antlers slowly emerged from the short black hair on Kintarou's head. With one ferocious snarl, he rushed towards the still fallen Sound ninja, who was unable to move, still trapped by the kunai in his foot and the numerous quills numbing his hands and arms. The man had barely the time to look up before Kintarou lowered his head, tackling him and lifting the scrawny shinobi up in the prongs of his antlers. The Sound ninja howled in agony as being forcibly lifted from the ground drove the kunai deeper into his foot before it finally broke free from the earth. Still facing forward, Kintarou summoned everything he had and swiftly threw the wounded Sound ninja into the air. As the scrawny man flew up and away from him, Kintarou paused.

"Hyou. (_Panther_)."

Long, deadly claws emerged from Kintarou's hands and feet and the muscles in his legs grew and tightened. With all the stamina he had left, he viciously leapt high above the man and pounced, sending the Sound ninja down hard to the ground and leaving him with several deep gashes. Heaving one last mouthful of blood, the scrawny nin fell unconscious. Hunched over beside him, Kintarou could barely stand as the aura enveloping him faded. He collapsed to his hands and knees as he slowly regained his wind. Hearing his cries and seeing his beastly victory, both Kaori and Mokina frustratingly turned toward one another.

"Guess it's just you and me, princess," Mokina sneered.

"We've already won," Kaori retorted.

"Is that you trying to tell yourself it's okay if you lose?" Mokina responded.

"No, it's my way of asking you to surrender," Kaori glared back. "Because this battle is over."

"Hmph," Mokina scowled.

Her eyes wide with hate, the Sound kunoichi jumped high into the air, ready to plunge a sai through the chest of the real Kaori this time.

"Sabaku Miraaju, _(Desert Mirage_)" Kaori whispered.

Hands clasped together, a faint glow began radiating from her body. Around her, the environment began shimmering; Ren's house, the few trees in the yard, the shrubs beside the rock wall remains, and even the hard, clumped soil slowly disappeared. Mokina glanced around, though still focusing on Kaori, until she too faded away. Halting herself in mid air, Mokina dropped down and frowned at her new surroundings. In every direction she spun, the only thing visible was sand. Miles and miles of sand.

"Your petty illusions won't hide you forever," Mokina called.

"Who says they have to?" Kaori shouted back still hidden from sight.

Suddenly, two figures rushed towards the unsuspecting Mokina. She sensed them just in time and flipped over behind them. Kintarou and Takeo's faces glared back at her. Both shinobi lunged at her, but she easily dodged and slashed them both with her kunai. Their images rippled for a moment, before fading away.

"This is the best you can do?" Mokina scoffed.

Three more figures suddenly came into view. Two of them rushed straight towards her, while the third held back. As they came into focus, Mokina stopped momentarily at the sight of the scrawny Sound ninja waving his sword at her as the hefty goggled shinobi twirled a set of shuriken in each hand. She gritted her teeth and rushed forward, slashing through the images until they vanished as well. She ran up to the third, knowing who she'd meet. Grinning back at her with his sinister metallic smile, Bandon waited for her attack.

"I'm done playing around," Mokina shouted. "I can dispel this pointless jutsu in an instant.

She raised a hand to her eyes, focused for a moment, and opened her mouth to speak.

"K—"

Mokina stood, unable to move, as Bandon stepped out from behind her. His white locks slowly colored to a sandy blonde as his frame shortened and his face faded away. Kaori grinned back at Mokina, who was completely paralyzed. Her sensation of touch and pain remained, however, as she felt the stinging feeling in the back of her neck.

"I've temporarily severed the connections between your motor neurons and your brain," Kaori said to her face. "You cannot move. My "pathetic" illusions aren't my only weapons. I'm a strong medic nin, too. And as much as I'd like to have more fun at your expense right now, we shinobi of Konoha are trained to aid our teammates. Be thankful I don't kill you for what you guys have done."

Kaori turned away as the desert around the two kunoichi faded.

"You're lucky I'm such a lady…"

Mokina's eyes leered intently back at Kaori, who slowly turned back around. A small grunt escaped Mokina's frozen lips as a small fist collided with the side of her face, sending the motionless kunoichi falling back to the ground.

"Kaori-san!" Kintarou shouted, moving up beside her.

"Okay, so I'm not that much of a lady," Kaori mumbled smartly to herself.

"That was a bit unnecessary," Kintarou continued. "I hardly think that—"

"We don't have time to worry about that," Kaori quickly stopped him. "We need to go after Takeo-kun and Ren-san."

"I agree," Kintarou nodded. "Noppo's hawk flew off in that direction. My guess is that it was heading towards that large plateau."

Both of them glanced behind Ren's house, looking out at the wide rocky structure.

"If we hurry, we should be able to catch up in no time," Kintarou grinned.

"When we do, I'm going to give him a—"

A loud, earth-shattering blast drowned out Kaori's words. Both she and Kintarou hurriedly looked around, trying to find the source. Within seconds, Kintarou spotted it and placed a hand on Kaori's shoulder to get her attention. Atop the large plateau in the distance, the place where Takeo and Ren had to be, a cloud of dust and smoke rose high into the air. And though his eyes were nowhere near as sharp as Takeo's, Kintarou was sure he saw what he did. Kaori's trembling body and awestruck expression confirmed it. Beneath the cover of sand and falling debris, both of them stared, as the large mound of elevated rock splintered apart, its shattered fragments tumbling into the gorge below.


	11. Chapter 11: Split

**A/N: School stuff has been taken care of, so here's chapter 11 - never thought I'd get this far with the story. Anyway, enjoy...Read & Review (looking at the responses I got after last chapter, maybe I should always end with a cliffhanger :) **

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**CHAPTER 11**

"**SPLIT"**

"Let's go," Takeo advised. "I'll take the lead, Ren-san."

Ren nodded in agreement and fell in line behind Takeo as he began the march up the twisting pathway. Glancing back toward his home once again, Ren spotted Aojiro's blue-winged form slowly gliding away from their sight. The hawk's faint cry echoed through the rolling valley between the plateau and Ren's house, where the four remaining shinobi continued their drawn out battle.

"Kaori and Kintarou will be fine," Takeo said, noticing the old man's concerned expression. "It wouldn't surprise me if they'd beaten the rest of those Sound ninja by now."

Ren smiled, shaking his head. "You're probably right, Takeo-san. You kids are a lot tougher than I expected."

"Ah, you know the saying, never judge a book…" Takeo smirked. "Come on."

A few steps ahead of the gray-haired man, Takeo led the way as the two began the hike around the winding path leading up to the top of the wide towering plateau bordering alongside the deep canyon. Knowing what lay waiting atop the raised ground, Ren couldn't help but feel nauseas, despite the security provided by Takeo's presence. The mere thought that his two adopted daughters, Jana and Nanami, could be injured or even killed because of him made Ren sick. The sweltering heat made it easier for Ren to hide his fears from Takeo, though, as the hot and arid afternoon air provided a welcome excuse for the sweat pouring down his face and neck. If not for high temperature, the hand Ren extended out to touch Takeo's shoulder would have been ice cold.

"Before we get too far," began Ren. "I want to say how much I appreciate you aiding me Takeo-san."

"You already said thanks," Takeo replied as the two continued their gradual climb up the path. "And again, it's my job to protect you. Besides, the Hokage would literally break me in half if anything happened to you."

"Yes, well, I suppose it takes a bit getting used to…meeting a ninja with morals," Ren said.

"Don't judge us all by a few misguided Sound nin," Takeo responded. "Every village has its own way of doing things, but we're all mostly out for the same thing."

"What is that?"

"Money," Takeo answered flatly.

Ren's head dropped as an odd expression spread across his face.

"Kidding," Takeo grinned, noticing the old man's demeanor. "I told you to relax, Ren-san. Each village has their own teachings and individual goals, but all of them basically want the same thing…to continue on living and surviving. Konoha's not really out for power or destruction or anything like that. Yeah, we're probably the strongest village, or at least we were before the whole ordeal with the last Chuunin Exam. But our strength is developed only to protect our home and defend the people that live there. And since you're technically going to be a resident of Konoha once we're finished here, I'm pretty much obligated to guard your safety."

Ren chuckled softly. "You're surprisingly idealistic, Takeo-san."

"Eh?" Takeo responded, scratching the back of his head. "I think that's the first time someone's said that about me."

Ren echoed his own laughter, enjoying the moment when his mind was not focused on the peril awaiting them at the summit.

"So did you see the Chuunin Exam disaster?" Ren suddenly asked.

"Yeah," Takeo nodded as he slowed his pace to allow Ren to catch up. "Strange enough, that's when I first teamed with Kaori and Kintarou. Wow, it feels like a long time ago…though to be honest, the three of us didn't really mix well at first. Kaori and Kintarou both wanted to split our group up before we'd even officially worked as one. Especially Kintarou…he was always trying to lecture us on something."

"Really?" Ren asked.

"Yeah," Takeo sighed.

Takeo immediately began retelling several of Kintarou's earliest attempts at scolding him as the two made their way ever closer to the top. As they passed the halfway point, Takeo began amusing Ren with stories from his journey to Earth Country. Though he had done so at Ren's request, Takeo could sense that the older man wasn't really paying attention to him. Ren wanted to hear something, anything to drown out the words repeating over and over in his mind. And Takeo's stern yet calming voice seemed to work well, muffling the fear-filled inner ramblings replaying in Ren's head. Noticing this fact, Takeo had little trouble trying to keep Ren's mind occupied. Before either of them had realized it, they had traveled nearly two-thirds of the way up. It was here that Takeo stopped walking and dropped down to sit on the gravelly pathway.

"Let's rest for a moment," Takeo suggested to Ren, who nodded and knelt gingerly down beside him.

As he glanced over at the old man, Takeo removed one of his black sandals and dumped a few small pebbles from inside it. Ren looked exhausted, his sweat-soaked face resting wearily in his hands. Takeo focused briefly and checked their surroundings using the enhanced vision provided by his Katsugan. Once he was sure that they were safe, he slid his sandal back over his bandaged foot and ankle and hopped up to his feet. He walked to the edge of the path, glancing down to the tiny boulders and bushes below. Takeo turned his head around, looking up at the rocky cliffs overhanging from the plateau's summit.

"Not too much longer," he sighed to himself.

"Takeo-san?"

"Ah, I was just saying that—"

A loud familiar screech cut his reply short. Gliding across the sky towards him, Takeo spotted the recognizable blue-winged bird. He held up a bandaged forearm, allowing Aojiro to land on it. Takeo noticed the note around the hawk's leg and frowned.

"Guess Kintarou made you run another delivery," Takeo said apologetically. "Sorry, Aojiro."

The hawk flapped its wings briefly, quietly voicing its displeasure with an irritated caw.

"Right, right," Takeo nodded, removing the note. "Your job's really done this time."

Aojiro's blue-feathered wings lifted high into the air as the bird vanished in a puff of smoke. Takeo sighed and quickly unrolled the parchment.

_Noppo,_

_Please do not do anything rash or foolish, though I suppose that is a useless request.  
Kaori-san and I are on our way, so please wait for us to arrive before attempting any  
sort of rescue. If anything happens to Ren-san in the meantime, I personally will deal  
with your punishment. Hokage-sama will never forgive us for failing her and then you  
will have not only failed Ren-san and Tsunade-sama, but I shall also be…_

Takeo scanned over the rest and rolled his eyes. He quickly crumpled the note into a tiny ball and tossed it over the edge off the path, watching it slowly flutter down.

"Was that from your friends?" inquired Ren.

"Yeah," Takeo nodded. "Kintarou wants us to wait for them to catch up before we do anything else."

"What? But we're so close to the top," Ren exclaimed.

"I know," Takeo replied. "But he has a point. If there are still several Sound ninja up there, then it would be better to wait. I may be good, Ren-san, but after fighting Bandon and those other shinobi, I'd be lying if I said I'm back at a hundred percent."

Ren sadly nodded and dejectedly hunched over, resting his hands on his knees.

"We can still keep going up, though" Takeo continued. "If we find too many Sound at the top, we can at least scout their numbers and their positions while we wait."

Hearing this made Ren quickly nod in agreement.

"Let's hurry then," he anxiously said.

Takeo was slightly startled to see Ren's renewed vigor, and shook his head as he smirked, watching the old man march off without him. Breathing a heavy sigh, Takeo quickly caught up with Ren and again took the lead as they stepped closer towards the Sound's camp atop the plateau. Having traveled most of the way with at least one of their voices filling the air, both Takeo and Ren found the sudden silence between them discomforting. And yet they both knew now that any sudden noises this close to the top could easily alert any ninja nearby to their presence. So they walked in silence on the winding trail, moving nearer to the summit.

"Wait," Takeo softly whispered as he and Ren stepped beneath an overhanging cliff.

Approaching an hour since the two began ascending the plateau, Takeo was somewhat surprised that they had finally reached the top. Thirty feet above them, the hook-shaped cliff jutted out from the main part of the plateau. Pressing both himself and Ren back against the uneven wall of rock beneath it, Takeo concentrated. His ears still ached from Bandon's lethal screaming, so his hearing wasn't quite on par with his vision or his other senses. Deeply focused, Takeo searched their surroundings for any signs of chakra. Ren glanced over at him several times, trying to figure out what he was doing. Eventually, Takeo poked his head out from the shadow created by the cliff above them. A worried expression appeared on his usually relaxed face.

"Takeo-san?" Ren quietly nudged him.

"I can sense powerful chakra," he informed Ren, still staring upwards.

"So that means there are Sound ninja at the top," Ren gloomily responded.

"Yeah," Takeo nodded without looking back. "Probably quite a few. Ren-san, I want you to stay here and take cover while I check out their camp."

"No," Ren loudly refused.

"I wasn't suggesting it, Ren-san. Stay here where it's safe, or I'll have to force you to stay."

Ren started to respond, but stopped himself as his eyes wandered around.

"Very well," he said.

"Good," Takeo nodded. "Back in a flash."

With surprising speed, Takeo darted off up the trail and out of sight. Ren waited a moment, and then moved back down the path a bit. He stopped and turned, facing the jagged and diagonally inclined side of the plateau before him. He shakily grabbed hold of a small ledge at eye level and lifted his foot into the narrow crack carved into the rock a foot or so off of the ground. Ren paused, before hoisting himself up.

"Sorry, Takeo-san," he mumbled as he carefully began climbing up towards the peak.

Minutes later, coming to a stop on the opposite side, Takeo balanced himself at the top of the plateau's smooth western face, using chakra to secure his feet and hands to the high-rising mound of rock and earth. Cautiously, he glanced down at the bottomless gorge beneath him before peeking his head over the top. Takeo froze. His eyes darted around quickly, surveying the scene as his brow wrinkled into a look of confusion. Expecting to see a well-guarded Sound encampment at the pinnacle of this elevated plateau, Takeo was caught completely off guard by the sheer emptiness. Two small tents were erected in the middle of the flat plateau peak. A tiny wooden table sat between them. With his sharp eyesight, Takeo noticed several half-empty bottles of sake sitting atop it. But there were no Sound nin nearby. The entire area was barren, save for two figures kneeling in front of the tents. Takeo strained his eyes to try and identify them. Blindfolded and gagged, the heads of two girls hung miserably down towards the ground. Their hands and feet bound together, they were trapped in this vulnerable position. The shorter girl was motionless, her short blue-tinted hair lying lifeless atop her unconscious head. The older girl beside her seemed to be fighting unconsciousness, her long platinum blonde locks swaying back and forth as she tried to stay alert.

"Well, this is kind of strange," Takeo muttered softly.

He continued glancing around, trying to determine if this was some kind of trap. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure emerging from near the hook-shaped cliff. Takeo's gaze shifted to the thin frame of the man slowly pushing himself up from the cliff's edge. He immediately frowned as a head of bushy silver hair glistened in the sunlight.

"Damn it," he sighed.

Struggling to lift his legs up and back onto solid ground, Ren hurriedly moved his body back and forth. When both knees finally lifted up over the edge of the cliff, the older man immediately flattened himself on the ground to try and hide himself from sight and to allow his aching muscles to rest. Unfortunately, Ren's eyes promptly fell on the two girls bound beside the tents. Even though they were several hundred feet away, Ren knew it was them. Ignoring the stiffness in his arms and legs, he hopped to his feet and without thinking, began to sprint towards the two helpless females.

"Damn it…" Takeo repeated as he quickly moved.

He pressed his hands firmly against the plateau's edge as he swiftly hoisted himself up, recoiling a bit as his hands dug into the moistened dirt, before using all of his speed to quickly reach Ren. The old man had barely taken more than a few steps before being tackled behind a pair of leafless shrubs by the charging Takeo. Ren struggled for a moment before he realized who had taken him down. For an instant, he stopped moving. Then he saw the two girls sitting powerlessly out in the open.

"G-Get off, Takeo-san!" Ren tried to scream.

Takeo's hand closed over his mouth.

"That was really stupid," Takeo quietly muttered into Ren's ear.

Ren mumbled some inaudible reply. Takeo relented and helped the old man to his feet as they both cautiously rose.

"I guess this is how Kintarou must feel…look, I told you I sensed really strong chakra," Takeo whispered. "And you yourself said that there are probably other Sound nin guarding the place, right?"

"So—" Ren started to protest.

"So where is everyone?" Takeo wondered. "It's too easy…the girls being out unguarded like that. And this doesn't help matters…"

Takeo opened both of his hands and showed them to Ren, who stared with his hazel-tinted eyes at the large splotches darkening the palms of his gloves, and staining his exposed fingertips a deep red. A large spot near the base of Takeo's right palm was still slightly wet, a drop or two slowly running down the glove to the underside of his wrist.

"Blood," Takeo stated, glancing around. "There was a pool of it near the ledge over there where I came up."

Ren didn't respond, only mimicking Takeo in scanning the barren plateau summit.

"It hadn't absorbed into the ground yet," Takeo continued. "Which means it was spilled recently."

"I don't get what that—"

"Quiet!" Takeo hushed him, as he and the older man crouched.

"You might as well stand and present yourselves."

Takeo's head snapped toward the direction of the voice. He was surprised to see a boy no older than he was standing calmly twenty feet away, flanked by two more boys on either side. His arms were folded tightly across his chest, where Takeo noticed the shining metallic band tied around the stranger's bicep. He stared for a few seconds at the symbol carved into the rectangular plate's center.

"Great," Takeo scowled. "Stone shinobi…"

Takeo hesitantly stood, pressing down on Ren's shoulder to keep the older man down and somewhat hidden. As soon as the Stone shinobi saw Takeo's lean form rise and face him, his dark eyes shifted to the forehead protector affixed to the quiver strap around Takeo's chest.

"You're a ways from home, Leaf ninja," the boy called. 'What are you doing in our country?"

"Vacation," Takeo smartly replied.

"Hmph," the Stone shinobi on the left smirked. "Crappy spot for it…"

The four shinobi stared at one another for a minute before Takeo broke the silence.

"Yeah…maybe we should head home then," Takeo said, slowly eyeing his surroundings.

"By we, you don't mean you and those two girls, do you?" the larger Stone shinobi on the right asked with a smile. "Because those two are now our prisoners until we straighten this whole mess out."

"Prisoners?" Takeo asked.

"Yeah…you foreign shinobi are invading our jurisdiction," the first boy replied.

"So you got rid of the Sound nin up here?"

"Who? There was no one up here except you guys when I arrived," the boy responded. "Our captain ordered us to avoid conflict on this investigation…bunch of old merchants spotted shinobi wandering about in the valley. However, I doubt he expected us to find a shinobi from Konoha. We may not be at war anymore, but my father has a few scars from those battles that I wouldn't mind paying back."

Takeo readied himself, hoping his teammates might arrive shortly. A tingling chill washed over his body as a pair of darkened figures suddenly zoomed in from out of nowhere. He prepared himself for more Stone nin, but was surprised to see the Stone shinobi knocked back off of their feet.

"What the…" Takeo muttered.

The three Stone ninja quickly rose and the largest thrust his hands together, creating several hand seals. Without warning, the ground beneath them all began to shake. Takeo watched as a large chasm opened up at the Stone shinobi's feet and a wave of rock and sand rose up in front of the three Stone nin. The earthen wall temporarily shielded Takeo and Ren from their sight.

"Ren-san," Takeo said quickly. "We should go…now."

"But what about my girls?" he immediately asked.

"We'll grab them and run," Takeo replied, grabbing hold of Ren's arm and dragging the man with him.

Within seconds, the two had made it over to the tied up young women. Taking a kunai from his pouch, Takeo quickly cut the cord binding the older girl's hands and feet. He moved to release the other one, but froze. He spun around as a Stone shinobi's agonizing scream filled the air, echoing loudly as his body tumbled over the edge of the plateau. Takeo lifted his bow from over his shoulder, leaning it against the side of the nearby tent, and tossed his kunai to Ren.

"Get the other one," Takeo said quickly, rummaging his free hand through his pouch.

Ren shakily grabbed the blade. "R-Right…"

Withdrawing his hand, Takeo held the ornately decorated knife again. He wiped the bloodstains from his left index finger before slicing through the tip with the blade of the fancy dagger. He smeared a line of the crimson liquid across the blade, covering the symbols again with his blood. He hastily thrust the dagger into the ground and looked up. Standing along the ledge where the Stone ninja had been tossed, two black-robed figures stood calmly staring back in his direction, ignoring the other two Stone shinobi angrily preparing to attack. Suddenly, the two figures rushed towards him. Takeo rapidly finished his hand seals and thrust his left palm into the ground. He yelled a few brief words to Ren before a giant puff of smoke clouded around him. A loud screech accompanied the movement of the enormous shadow that appeared within the cloud. Ren's cry of reply was silenced as a giant explosion of rock and debris erupted from nearby, causing the entire plateau to quake…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If we hurry, we should be able to catch up in no time," Kintarou grinned.

"When we do, I'm going to give him a—"

A loud, earth-shattering blast drowned out Kaori's words. Both she and Kintarou hurriedly looked around, trying to find the source. Within seconds, Kintarou spotted it and placed a hand on Kaori's shoulder to get her attention. Atop the large plateau in the distance, the place where Takeo and Ren had to be, a cloud of dust and smoke rose high into the air. And though his eyes were nowhere near as sharp as Takeo's, Kintarou was sure he saw what he did. Kaori's trembling body and awestruck expression confirmed it. Beneath the cover of sand and falling debris, both of them stared, as the large mound of elevated rock splintered apart, its shattered fragments tumbling into the gorge below.

"What…"

"K-Kintarou-kun," Kaori mumbled. "That's…"

"Let's go," he quickly replied.

Leaving the fallen quartet of Sound ninja behind, Kintarou and Kaori frantically raced towards the destruction in the distance. Neither of them spoke a word; Kaori could barely breathe, while Kintarou's face displayed a rare look of concern. Moving swiftly through the valley, the two Konoha shinobi reached the site of the plateau, or at least what remained of it. An enormous pile of broken rock and bits of dirt stretched out for several hundred yards. Recklessly, both of them began scouring the debris for their teammate and the old man he'd chased after.

"Takeo-kun!" Kaori repeatedly shouted.

"Oi, Noppo!" Kintarou yelled several times.

Despite their best efforts, they were unable to see anything in the carnage lying before them. Unwillingly, both of them turned their gaze toward the hollow canyon beyond the pile of rubble.

"You don't think he…" Kaori started.

Kintarou frowned. The two stood motionless, waving away the remains of the dust cloud from their eyes. Out of the blue, a thunderous screech called out from above them. Kintarou and Kaori immediately looked upwards and watched intently as a giant bird began descending towards the ground. Both shinobi shielded their eyes as it kicked up sand and dirt as it gently landed. Standing nearly as tall as Kintarou, the hawk's rust-colored feathers ruffled slightly as it lowered it wings. Kaori and Kintarou watched in awe as it gently rolled Ren slowly off and onto the ground. An unconscious girl followed behind, landing beside the weak and barely conscious older man. Her long blond hair masked her face, though not quite hiding the scrapes and bruises around her chin and cheeks. Snapping out of their daze, Kintarou and Kaori quickly rushed to Ren's side.

"Kaori-san," Kintarou said.

"Right," she nodded, kneeling down and reaching her hands out to examine him.

Ren suddenly lifted a hand and clasped her wrist. Hysterically, he rambled off several words that silenced everyone. Kaori tried to maintain her composure as she felt the tears beginning to form. Kintarou quietly glanced away towards the plateau remains, Ren's incoherent voice replaying through his head.

"He…saved us…Nanami, they…and he tried to save her…fell down…over cliff…both…fell …"


	12. Chapter 12: Missing Pieces

**A/N: Yay, here's chapter 12. This was probably the hardest one to write so far (so it will likely be edited at some point in the future). Anyway...Read & Review (appreciate it!)**

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**CHAPTER 12**

"**MISSING**** PIECES"**

"…Fell down…over cliff…both…fell …"

Ren's words tore at the two Konoha Chuunin, who looked at one another, unsure of what to say. As Ren drifted back into unconsciousness, a deathly silence consumed the catastrophic site of the plateau remains. The large hawk that had delivered Ren and the girl safely to the ground suddenly flapped its wings, stirring up a bit of dust and debris as it vanished within a giant puff of smoke. As the cloud slowly dissipated, Kaori found herself rising to her feet. Before either she or Kintarou realized it, she had begun to sprint across the crumbled fragments of rock, heading towards the edge of the gorge. She squinted as the sun shone almost directly into her eyes, illuminating the tight wrinkles around her lips from the fretful expression on her face. A large shadow quickly intercepted her halfway.

"Kaori-san."

"Let me go!" she shouted. "Takeo-kun needs medical attention…I have to help him…"

She struggled mightily to free herself from Kintarou's hold, but it was pointless.

"Kaori-san," Kintarou firmly repeated. "You need to calm down and think rationally."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Kintarou-kun," Kaori replied harshly. "I have to—"

"You have to act like the medical specialist you are!" Kintarou continued, ignoring her thrashing.

Kaori stopped her movements long enough for Kintarou to feel safe in releasing her.

"Aren't medical specialists trained to prioritize the wounded?" Kintarou soberly asked her.

"Y-Yes," Kaori hesitantly nodded.

"And in this situation, what should you do?"

Kaori sadly glanced at him for a moment before turning back towards Ren and the girl lying on the ground.

"Stabilize those within reach," Kaori stoically answered.

"Right," Kintarou replied. "Our mission is to bring Ren-san back. He takes priority over all of us…regardless of how hard that may be. I know it's difficult, but this is how it has to be. ANBU exist to serve Konoha…and saving Ren-san will accomplish that purpose…"

"But…" Kaori started, before giving in and turning.

Kintarou grimaced at the mournful look on Kaori's face as she stared behind him, towards the canyon. Soon though, she began walking away and he quickly followed her back to where Ren and the girl were lying. Spreading her hands over the silver-haired old man as she knelt down, Kaori hurriedly examined him.

"Dislocated shoulder…a fracture of his radius…dehydration…slight concussion…" Kaori stated as she went. "Nothing life-threatening."

"Good. What about the girl?"

Kaori moved her hands over to the young woman's slender frame. Kintarou watched as Kaori quickly examined her, too.

"Apart from a few scratches and bruises to her face and arms, she appears to be stable," Kaori informed him. "She likely has a low-grade concussion as well."

"I see," Kintarou replied. "Good. I'm glad both of them are not in too serious of a condition."

"Right," Kaori nodded as she hopped to her feet. "Let's go find Takeo-kun."

"No," Kintarou quickly responded.

"What do you mean?" Kaori shot back.

"Kaori-san, you need to finish treating Ren-san and the girl," Kintarou said. "If Noppo did fall…we both know that the odds of finding him are very small."

"That doesn't mean we should just forget about him and leave him down there to die," Kaori shouted back at him.

"If he isn't already dead," Kintarou calmly replied.

Kaori's small fist shot straight at his nose. Kintarou quickly caught the punch and gently lowered her hand.

"I'm sorry, Kaori-san," Kintarou apologized. "But as team leader it is my duty to think of the mission and of what is best for its success. Right now, the odds of him being alive after a fall like that are very low. If we send you down to find him, we risk you possibly getting injured and thus losing our only medical specialist. I'm sorry, Kaori-san, but I cannot allow you to endanger yourself."

"Kintarou-kun, I still—"

"Which is why I will go down to search for Takeo," Kintarou finished.

Kaori paused and shook her head. "Then both of us should go. We're a team."

"And as team leader, I'm ordering you to stay behind and heal these two," Kintarou immediately responded, noticing the depression in Kaori's normally bright blue eyes. "Kaori-san, we don't know who or what caused this destruction, but it would be safe to assume that we do not want to meet them as we are. As soon as Ren-san and she are healed, we will take them back to Ren's house, grab our stuff, and head straight for Konoha."

"And what about—"

"If I find anything, I will immediately come and get you," Kintarou assured her.

The two stared at one another before Kaori eventually nodded.

"Good," Kintarou said. "I shall return soon."

As Kaori quickly turned back to her two patients, Kintarou spun and carefully dashed across the rubble towards the edge of the gorge. He stopped a few inches from it, kneeling down to one knee and cautiously leaning his head over the ledge. He frowned, scratching at the black whiskers covering his chin. In their haste to reach the crumbling plateau, he and Kaori had forgotten to bring the pack with all of their equipment. Though as he continued gazing into the gorge, Kintarou realized that any length of rope wouldn't be of much use anyway. Even after staring down into the shadow-filled canyon for several minutes, he could not see the bottom.

Furrowing his brow as he stood, Kintarou tried to think of a way to reach it other than leaping to his death. He wasn't sure he had enough chakra left for any useful ninjutsu techniques. Which meant that as much as he didn't want to, he would have to climb down the hard way. He only hoped his strength would hold up. Briefly glancing back at Kaori, Kintarou paused, watching the green-tinted chakra surround her hands as she worked over Ren's shoulder. With a short quick sigh, Kintarou withdrew a pair of kunai from his pouch and clutched them tightly. He fidgeted with the bandaging wrapped around his large paws, fitting the kunai handles between a few layers to secure the blades in his grasp. He slowly stepped to the edge, allowing his toes to hang over slightly. He gritted his teeth and allowed his body to lean forward, until his weight eventually carried him headfirst into the large chasm.

The gust of air pushing up into his face as he fell left his eyes teary. But Kintarou stayed focused and after he had fallen some fifty feet, he forcibly pounded both hands into the flat rock face, piercing the canyon side with the kunai gripped in his hands. The sharp metal blades tore through the hard brittle rock, digging deeper and deeper into the wall. Kintarou's momentum slowed; his body was forced to flip, his legs and feet somersaulting over. Adjusting his hands slightly, Kintarou clasped each kunai tightly as his back slammed into the canyon side. He wobbled slightly as he came to a stop, facing out into the gorge as he hung nearly a hundred feet below the top. Gathering himself again, Kintarou lifted his legs and pressed his feet against the rock behind him. He focused his energy and violently propelled himself off of the rock face, leaping with his hands outstretched towards the other side. He fell at least another fifty or sixty feet before coming in contact with the opposite wall. Again, he plunged each kunai into the solid rock face, slowing his descent towards the bottom. When he came to a stop, he kicked his feet off of the canyon side again and leapt back towards the first wall, gradually zigzagging his way down.

A few hundred feet above him, Kaori feverishly continued to work on the unconscious pair lying on the ground. She had seen Kintarou fall headfirst into the deep crevice, but managed to hold herself from rushing up to the edge to make sure he was safe. She had to have faith that Kintarou knew what he was doing. She believed in her teammates. Both of them. Takeo was fine, she told herself. Kintarou would find him at the bottom. The two of them would argue about Takeo rushing into something again, not listening to Kintarou's words of advice. They would climb back up, Kintarou grinning and Takeo calmly shaking his head. Then they would all go back home together, where they would continue their careers as ANBU agents. Kaori repeated this again and again as she finished healing Ren's injuries, quickly moving to work on the girl lying beside him. She knew everything would be okay.

"Okay…"

Kintarou mumbled that word over and over as he balanced atop a large fragment of the broken plateau, one of many pieces that had tumbled into the gorge. The kunai he still held tightly in his hands showed how rough his trip down had been; the once sharp and brilliant blades were now dulled and even chipped in a few places along the edge. Kintarou shifted his eyes upwards, gazing at the distant cracks of sunlight that shone down into the otherwise dark canyon. It had taken nearly a dozen back-and-forth bounces off of the walls to finally drop far enough into the gorge to see the bottom. Now that he was here, Kintarou was taking a moment to rest as he surveyed the wreckage around him.

"Noppo!" he yelled out, his voice echoing off of the smooth canyon walls.

As his eyes adjusted to the dimness within the chasm, Kintarou quickly began losing what little hope he had left to hold on to. Piled beneath his feet, shattered fragments of the plateau littered the canyon bottom in every direction. He wasn't sure it was even accurate to say he'd reached the bottom anymore; the rock and debris underneath him was easily twenty feet deep. However, small breaks between several of the larger slabs of stone revealed a few scattered pockets of empty space. The small chance that Takeo was caught in one of these safety bubbles was all Kintarou needed.

"Noppo!" he shouted. "Takeo!"

Kintarou called out again and again, but still heard only the reply of his own echo. Without thinking, he dove down towards the small fragment of rock nearest to him. He hurriedly untangled the kunai handles from the bandaging around his hands and stuffed them back into his pouch, and then placed his hands underneath the heavy chunk of rock. With a loud roar, he dug his feet into the plateau pieces underneath him and lifted the stone fragment up and tossed it a few feet to the side. He scanned the tiny hollow that was beneath it; finding nothing, he hastily began burrowing down through the dirt and smaller bits of rock. Deeper and deeper he tunneled. Kintarou's exposed fingers quickly became raw and swollen, but he ignored the discomfort, focusing solely on finding some sign of his missing teammate. After ten minutes of clawing through the debris, Kintarou left the tiny crater he'd made and moved on to another fragment nearby. Once it had been tossed aside, he continued digging. Twenty minutes later, he moved on to a third spot. An hour later, his hands scraped and sore, Kintarou stood back up and glared angrily at the mountain of broken bits of the plateau still beneath him. At the rate he was going, all he'd accomplish is undermining any stability the piled up stone fragments had.

A look of defeat darkened his eyes as he turned his head left and right over the long mound of stone and dirt. Frustration filling every pore in his large body, Kintarou violently kicked at the tiny hill of crumbled rock and sand beneath his feet. He suppressed a shout and snapped his sandaled foot back immediately, feeling a sharp pain as his toes impacted something buried within it. Quickly reaching a hand down, he pulled a curved wooden spear out from the rubble. Several splinters decorated the thick middle portion, just above a textured groove that had obviously been broken from a larger piece. Kintarou sulked as he hesitantly looked at the loose bit of bowstring dangling from the narrower pointed end.

"His bow," Kintarou sighed heavily.

Takeo's broken weapon in hand, Kintarou slid the fractured piece between his belt and his pants, and then moved it around behind his back. He quickly renewed his search among the wreckage with an even greater sense of urgency. He frantically scoured the surrounding area, hoping his teammate was nearby. Tossing several large chunks of rock away, Kintarou caught a glimpse of something glimmering faintly within the tight gap between two enormous hunks of stone. He leapt immediately towards the object, never taking his eye off of the pale bit of light reflecting off of it. Squeezing his thick muscular arm inside the narrow crack of space, Kintarou blindly moved his hand about until he felt his fingers brush against it. Cool and smooth to the touch, Kintarou maneuvered his hand around the metallic object, feeling a bit of fabric surrounding it. He carefully moved his arm back, but found it wouldn't budge more than a few inches. Closing his left eye, he peered through the small sliver of space with his right eye. His head instantly shot back as he recklessly began pounding at the two giant pieces of rock imprisoning the object. Realizing the futility of this, he pressed his free hand against the side of one of the large slabs and yanked his arm out from the crack, still instinctively clutching the metal piece in his hand. A muffled tearing sound soon gave way to a loud thud as Kintarou stumbled back, landing hardly on a flat piece of stone.

He braced his free hand against its rough surface and pushed himself up. Suddenly, he felt the pile of rocks and debris beneath him giving way. He swiftly hopped to his feet as the fragments began caving in. Soon, the entire area began trembling, as the plateau remains started shifting and sinking down. In a flash, Kintarou raced back to the two large chunks of rock. He glanced down at the object that had broken free, tightening his grip around it and the torn leather strap attached to one end. With every bit of strength he had, Kintarou wedged his hands between the two hefty slabs of stone and tried desperately to pull them apart. His face reddened and his jaw tightened as every muscle in his body flexed; his stifled grunts and steadily rising voice was soon drowned out as the fragments of rock and earth behind him began collapsing in. The wave of sinking stone and sand quickly approached Kintarou, who could not separate the giant boulders. He gazed miserably at the shadowed form trapped within the pocket of space before he turned his glassy eyes up. Moments before the rubble beneath him fell, compacting deeper into the canyon bottom, Kintarou jumped up. A worn kunai in his hand, he bounced off of the top of one of the large rock slabs, barely avoiding slipping back down, and drove the blade into the surface of the canyon wall.

The sounds faintly emanating from down in the gorge did nothing to ease Kaori's nerves. She had worked quickly to heal Ren's injuries and to make sure that he and the girl were safe for travel. But now, having finished everything that she could do for them, the kunoichi was left with little else to do but sit and anxiously wait for her teammates' return. Habitually fidgeting with her hands, Kaori helplessly gazed out over the field of plateau fragments towards the ledge where Kintarou had fallen. The calloused hand that briefly touched her arm made her jump back.

"Kaori-san…"

Ren's eyes were only half open, but the fact that he was stirring made Kaori feel slightly better.

"You should keep resting, Ren-san," Kaori said, forcing a smile.

Ren didn't reply, instead rolling his head over to face the girl beside him.

"Jana…she okay…" Ren barely whispered.

Kaori placed a comforting hand on top of the old man's shoulder as he gently sat himself up.

"She should be fine," Kaori assured him. "Do you remember what happened?"

Ren paused as he searched his memory. "There were others at the top…other ninja…two in black robes attacked and…Takeo-san did something and called that large bird. Smoke and dust made it hard to see but…Takeo-san warned me to move and then…then the ground started shaking. I cut the ropes on Nanami and then…I saw those two black robes charging right at us. Takeo-san moved in front of us, but they…they tried to grab Nanami…Takeo-san stopped them. Then after this loud explosion nearby, the ground really started shaking and then it started splitting apart. I yelled to Takeo-san, but he had Nanami in his arms trying to bring her back when… when the ground underneath him broke apart and they…fell…I jumped up to get them but then…I think something hit me…I can't remember…"

He tried to speak again, but Ren found his body still aching and slow to respond.

"W-What about…Nanami and Tak—"

"I need you to rest," Kaori quickly cut him off. "Please lay back down."

"Kaori-san…did…"

Ren's weakened voice faded as he noticed her hopeful eyes staring at the same spot along the canyon's edge. Her gaze never wavered from that point, not even when a large bandaged hand rose from the edge a few feet away. Only after a spiky head of black hair emerged did Kaori find the energy to move. Leaping to her feet, she ignored Ren, racing towards Kintarou as he gingerly lifted himself up and back onto flat solid ground. Kaori began to smile as she ran, still caught up in her own illusions of her team's happy reunion. But that warm grin disappeared the moment she saw the bleak expression on Kintarou's face.

"Kintarou-kun…"

Kintarou couldn't find the right words to say. He couldn't find anything to say. He simply shook his head.

"Wh-What happened…" Kaori started before her voice left her.

"Kaori-san…" Kintarou frowned regretfully.

Removing the piece of Takeo's bow from behind his back, Kintarou held it out for Kaori to see. When she didn't respond, he slowly withdrew the other object he'd retrieved from his pouch. Kaori's trembling hands reached out and accepted it, cradling the familiar item in her open palms. The late afternoon sun glistened softly off of the reflective surface of the rectangular metal plate, illuminating the scratches surrounding he intricate leaf symbol engraved in the center. Several tiny droplets splashed on the forehead protector, darkening the scattered smears of dried blood. The tears cascading down Kaori's cheeks wouldn't stop.

"I'm sorry…Kaori-san. I couldn't bring his…body," Kintarou said. "He…rather, his body was stuck between two boulders. I didn't know it was him until I pulled his forehead protector off, and saw part of the strap from his quiver still attached. I hoped maybe it wasn't, but…"

Kaori silently nodded, clutching the forehead protector to her chest. The uncomfortable silence that followed was becoming too common.

"Kintarou-san..." Ren coughed as he approached. "What happened…did you fi—"

"We should go…" Kaori quietly murmured.

Ren paused and then slowly understood, mournfully dropping to his knees. Kintarou took a brief glance back down the gorge before grabbing Ren around his shoulders and lifting him to his feet.

"…Right…" he nodded.

Kintarou helped Ren back over the rocky plateau remains as Kaori fell in a few steps behind them. The three of them stopped beside the still unconscious girl. Without a word, Kintarou carefully picked her up and balanced her slim body on his shoulder. Ren brought his glazed-over eyes up to her face, brushing a few strands of her hair with his fingers. Kaori stared silently at the ground, until Kintarou tenderly placed a hand on her shoulder. The two remaining Chuunin glanced once more at the gorge, quietly losing hold of their emotions. Kaori wiped away the tears drying on her face with the back of her hand, still holding tightly to her teammates forehead protector.

"Come on…" Kintarou gloomily sighed.

The setting sun behind them, the two ANBU hopefuls marched somberly back to retrieve their gear. Their eyes met briefly before quickly turning back towards the path ahead to Ren's home. There, they retrieved their pack from the yard, noticing the absence of the four injured Sound nin. Kaori slipped the equipment pack over her shoulders as she and Kintarou, who was still carrying the girl, turned to leave. Ren paused momentarily at the entrance to his home, kneeling beside the rock wall remains.

"Nanami…I'm sorry…Takeo-san…thank you…"

Kintarou grinned, though showing only sadness on his face. Kaori bit her lip as she looked down into her closed hand, staring at the small bit of Takeo's forehead protector sticking out. They glanced at one another, waiting until Ren joined them, and then the three turned away from the disasters behind them. They left Geyser, heading for home as broken as the plateau that had split their team apart along with it.


	13. Chapter 13: Mission Complete

** CHAPTER 13**

"…**MISSION COMPLETE…"**

"I see."

Several days after the horrific events that ended their mission to Earth Country, Kintarou and Kaori stood somberly before the Hokage. The imposing figure stood silently facing out the window; her back turned towards the pair of Chuunin in her office. Having arrived less than an hour earlier, the two of them were exhausted beyond belief. It was taking what little energy and stamina they had left to avoid collapsing to the floor on the spot. But both put their weariness aside the moment the question they'd been dreading came up. Where was Takeo? After neither one said a word, Tsunade's frightening glare persuaded Kintarou to tell the story as he knew it. He filled Tsunade in on everything: the Sound ninjas involvement and trap; Ren running off and Takeo following him; seeing the plateau collapse; finding Takeo's bow; taking the forehead protector from his trapped body; all of it. When he had finished, both he and Kaori briefly glanced at one another, sharing a sad smile. Tsunade had then simply rose from her chair and turned to gaze out the windows lining the wall behind her desk, muttering her words of understanding.

"I expect that both of you are in need of some rest and medical attention," Tsunade sighed as she turned back around to face them. "You will report to the hospital immediately. Assuming you are well enough to go home, I expect you both back here tomorrow morning to turn in a full report."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," both Chuunin replied.

"As far as your mission is concerned, I assume that both of you understand how I am forced to interpret the results of this field examination for your ANBU applications."

Neither Kintarou nor Kaori made a move to answer.

"You left the gates as a team of three, but returned home a team of two. Generally, that's not what we would call a success. However, I asked you before you left my office, Kintarou, if you could sacrifice a teammate for the sake of the mission."

Kintarou looked up at the woman's comforting eyes.

"No one would expect you to allow that to happen easily," Tsunade assured him. "Based on what you've told me so far, the three of you acted appropriately and dutifully, demonstrating character worthy of Konoha shinobi. Atsukami Ren is safe and in Konoha, as is the girl you brought with him. The fact that Takeo was lost is extremely saddening, but you two managed to remain loyal to your duty as shinobi, displaying maturity necessary for our line of work. As disappointing as the outcome may be, you succeeded in the mission assigned to you."

Again, the two tired Chuunin nodded in response.

"I realize this is difficult to accept," Tsunade frowned. "But this is the way of the life we lead. I would guess by your reactions that this is the first time either of you have lost a teammate on a mission."

"Y-Yes," Kintarou replied.

"Mm," Kaori nodded.

"I know how painful it is, believe me," Tsunade said understandingly.

The three were silent for several seconds before a dark-haired woman entered the room.

"Tsunade-sama."

"What is it, Shizune?"

"Ren and the young woman, Jana, have both been treated and are currently alert and stable."

"That's good news," Tsunade smiled briefly.

"Yes," Shizune said quickly. "Both of them are under observation in a private room. I have assigned a squad of ANBU to keep watch until you arrive."

"Very good. Thank you, Shizune."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

As the young woman turned to leave, Tsunade looked back towards Kintarou and Kaori.

"You are free to go, too," she said. "Takeo's parents are on their way. And I need to speak with Ren and the girl before they are able to rest, to try and understand what exactly happened out there."

"Hokage-sama," Kintarou hesitantly stopped her. "Are you…excuse me, wouldn't it be a good idea to retrieve Noppo's, er, Takeo's…body? I realize that he doesn't, or didn't have an advanced bloodline like the Hyuuga clan, but it would still be wise to, uh…bring it back for his family's sake."

The blonde Hokage paused to ponder his comments. "I will look into assigning a team to do so tomorrow. Kintarou, since you found the body, I would need you to detail where exactly you found him."

"I would like to volunteer for the team," Kintarou immediately responded. "I remember exactly where he was, I assure you."

"Yes, I know seeing your teammate's lifeless face is not easy to forget…" Tsunade said, her eyes looking down.

"I couldn't see his head or face the way his body was positioned," Kintarou admitted. "Which I am somewhat happy about..."

"Then how did you retrieve his forehead protector?" Tsunade started to question, before answering herself. "Ah, of course, he wore his around the strap for his quiver…"

Tsunade looked away for a moment, her mind obviously elsewhere.

"I want to go, too," Kaori volunteered.

Tsunade shook her head, losing her train of thought. "I'm afraid you two will be quite busy. You will need to report to the ANBU office directly after filing your reports with me tomorrow morning. All of the necessary paperwork needs to be filled out before you can be assigned to your division and a squad."

Kintarou and Kaori looked unexpectedly at one another before staring back at Tsunade.

"It may feel somewhat hollow considering the circumstances, but you completed the mission and thus passed your entrance examination," Tsunade said slowly as she walked out of her office. "Welcome to ANBU."

Tsunade exited the room quickly, heading over to the hospital. Kintarou and Kaori, both stunned at her last few words, remained standing inside her office. Both of them were sharing the same thoughts, and the same sense of guilt. It took several minutes for them to snap out of their self-induced daze and finally leave the Hokage tower. Stepping foot outside, the pair slowly started off towards the hospital. The crisp evening air chilled their skin and did little to dissuade their worn and emotionally drained bodies from shaking. And if their own sense of sadness and remorse weren't enough, the sight of the two figures approaching made those feelings escalate even higher.

"G-Good evening…Keigo-sama…Hakumi-san," Kintarou respectfully bowed.

Neither of Takeo's parents responded, instead continuing to approach until they within arm's reach of their son's teammates. As soon as they stopped, Hakumi reached both of her trembling arms out and wrapped them tightly around Kaori and Kintarou, resting her sobbing head between them. Kintarou frowned as he looked away, his apologetic eyes meeting Keigo's unusually distant ones. Kaori returned Hakumi's embrace, letting her own tears fall on the woman's shoulder. The four of them remained that way for a while, separating only after Keigo and Hakumi reluctantly entered the Hokage's tower. Kintarou placed a hand on Kaori's back, guiding her in step beside him as they headed away from the grief and mourning that would fill Tsunade's office again. They'd had their fill for the day.

_(A Week Later)-----------------------------------------------------------------------(A Week Later)_

"And you're sure about this?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the Jounin nodded. "We looked all over the remains at the bottom of the canyon. We found several bodies after clearing away most of the debris, but none match Zuboshi Takeo's description. We found what appears to be half of a broken bow near the bottom of the pile, but--"

"None of the bodies had a quiver around their back?"

"A dead shinobi from the Hidden Stone was found with what looked like the remains of one," he replied. "The strap was broken, though, so it's possible it merely fell next to him."

"I see…" Tsunade nodded, her nose wrinkled up in thought.

"Should we continue the search, Hokage-sama?"

"No. If you were unsuccessful in finding it the first time, there's little chance of finding it a second. And from what I've learned regarding the situation surrounding his death, they're may not be much of a body left…"

"Hokage-sama?"

"It's nothing," Tsunade quickly responded as she stood. "That will be all."

Nodding, the Jounin turned and left hurriedly through the office doors. Tsunade exasperatingly sat back in her chair, dropping her head on her intertwined fingers as she rested her elbows on the desk.

"Akatsuki…" she muttered scornfully, before closing her eyes in contemplation.

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**A/N: I know I usually drop these at the beginning, but I actually have a lot to post, so I figured it would be easier after the chapter. First, the chapter's fairly short - 1) after the past few, which had a lot of plot, character stuff, and action/battles, I thought a shorter one might be a nice break (both to write and to read); 2) if you've read and remember the summary, you can probably guess that the story will skip ahead a period of time (2 years) - at the moment, I'm undecided as to whether I should write a chapter or two to "fill" some of the gap, or skip ahead like I originally planned - any comments/suggestions would be welcome; 3) someone had asked me about the ages of the three main characters (I never explicitely gave numbers) - since the story will be jumping ahead a bit, I thought now would be a good time to post brief character profiles and other info as the three main characters are NOW, before the jump ahead:**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **

**Character Profiles**

**Name: ****Zuboshi Takeo**

**Age:** 17

**Sex: **Male

**Height:** 6'0"

**Weight:** 165 lbs.

**Rank:** Chuunin

**Specialty:** Archery

**Techniques:**

- Katsugan (_Keen Sight_)

- Kemuriran (_Smoke Sight_)

- Kumoya (_Cloud Arrow_)

- Youkaiya (_Ghost Arrow_)

- Tokken (_Tackle Charge_)

- Hishoutaka Kyuukouka (_Soaring Falcon Dive_)

- Kamereon Kawa no Jutsu (_Chameleon Skin Technique_)

- Kuchiyose no Jutsu (_Summoning Technique_)

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**Name: ****Kazumo Kintarou**

**Age:** 18

**Sex:** Male

**Height:** 6'3"

**Weight:** 260 lbs.

**Rank: **Chuunin

**Specialty:** Taijutsu

**Techniques:**

- Kuma Tsume no Jutsu (_Bear Claw Technique_)

- Hibiware Tekken (_Fissure Fist_)

- Ninpou, Doubutsu Tootemu (_Ninja Art, Animal Totem_)

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**Name: ****Hirashi Kaori**

**Age:** 16

**Sex:** Female

**Height:** 5'7"

**Weight:** 127 lbs.

**Rank:** Chuunin

**Specialty:** Medical Specialist/Genjutsu

**Techniques:**

- Doton: Nemuri Suna no Jutsu (_Earth Element: Sleep Sand Technique_)

- Hana Buyou no Jutsu (_Flower Dance Technique_)

- Sabaku Miraaju (_Desert Mirage_)

- Kusa Bunshin no Jutsu (_Grass Clone Technique_)

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**I wrote those out before I started the fic (minus the techniques I had to make) - if anything in the story disagrees with that, let me know...Anyway, enjoy...Read & Review... **


	14. Chapter 14: Moving On

**A/N: Kind of a small break between chapters, but I have finals this week and then Spring Break next week...so unless the weather in San Diego sucks, it'll likely be awhile til chapter 15. Anyway, story is skipping ahead as I mentioned. I'm not 100 percent happy with the chapter, but it's as close to what I wanted as I could get for the moment. When I get the chance when I get back, I'll probably skim through the previous chapters for editing purposes (small stuff, nothing major), so don't be surprised if you look back through the other chapters at some point and notice something different (the "flashback" transitioning is something that I'll probably work on - thanks JA-Japster). Anyway, enjoy...Read & Review...**

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**CHAPTER 14**

"**MOVING ON"**

As usual, the streets of Konoha were deathly silent. The calm and pleasant atmosphere that filled the night sky was becoming unusually common. The small number of guards patrolling along Konoha's walls and gates had even grown lazy with the lack of action. Not that anyone in the village was complaining. It had been a little over two and a half years since the now famous Chuunin Exam incident with the Hidden Sand and Hidden Sound attempting to destroy Konoha, and the town's inhabitants had only recently begun to put it behind them. Now, though, with peace slowly returning, the village was actually quite boring. The Hokage still received the occasional missions to assign, and the Academy still churned out new classes of Genins. The only problem facing Konoha and its shinobi were the lack of upper level ninja to train them. The numbers of Jounin and even Chuunin level shinobi had been decimated by the Chuunin Exam incident, though their numbers were gradually growing. But Jounin instructors to lead Genin teams were in short supply, as were worthy Jounin and Chuunin to maintain the ranks of ANBU, which despite the brief period of serenity, still suffered regular casualties as a result of their sometimes suicidal missions. The fact that ANBU were still used to patrol the village borders also limited their numbers, as well as irritating those ANBU unlucky enough to be assigned to patrol duty. Generally given to new recruits, guard duty was usually considered as punishment by those appointed to it. Which made the ANBU agent calmly standing atop the western wall something of an anomaly. She had volunteered.

Hidden well by the dark cloak and hood covering her body, the ANBU guard peered out of the narrow eyeholes in the white mask covering her face. Her deep blue eyes sparkled faintly in the light of the full moon as she took a moment to gaze out across the heavens. Without thinking, she reached a gloved hand into the equipment pouch around her waist and removed a freshly polished forehead protector. Aside from a few scratches scarring the center of the plate around the leaf symbol, it looked relatively new and unused. However, the gentle hands holding the object knew better. When her mind had settled, she dashed off in a flash, arriving moments later at the large stone monument at the center of the training grounds. Stepping slowly up to the large face, she scanned through the many names listed until she found it etched near the bottom of the cenotaph.

_Zuboshi Takeo_.

Kaori rarely went a day without thinking of her lost friend for at least a few seconds. Every time she pulled her ANBU mask over her face, she remembered the teammate she and Kintarou had lost on their mission to Earth Country. Takeo had been a big part of their success, saving Ren and Jana according to the report Tsunade gave them after they had returned. The conversation still echoed in her head as if she'd heard it only yesterday…

"_Before you go," Tsunade began. "I thought you'd like to know what Ren and the girl, Jana, had to say last night. According to Ren, he and Takeo encountered three shinobi from the Hidden Stone. The top of the plateau was supposedly the base camp for the Sound nin that were holding Jana and her younger sister. When Takeo and Ren arrived, however, there were no Sound present. For whatever reason, the Stone attacked, but were interrupted when two other shinobi attacked them."_

"_Other shinobi?" Kintarou questioned._

"_Based on the brief description Ren gave, they're likely missing nin…S-class…" Tsunade responded, trying to avoid revealing everything she knew._

"_Why would two S-class missing nin attack them?" she asked, flipping her sandy blonde hair behind her ears.  
_

"_I don't know," Tsunade answered. "What exactly happened afterwards isn't clear. Takeo used his summoning jutsu, which aside from calling the hawk, created a lot of smoke that hindered Ren's observations."_

"_Yes, Ren-san mentioned that when he spoke with Kaori after we found him," Kintarou nodded._

"_Ah, then the rest you know," Tsunade sighed. "The girl wasn't much help. Jana only remembers being dragged to the top by the Sound nin, and then passing out before waking up while you were carrying her over your shoulder."_

_Kintarou scratched his head. "I remember that. She nearly clawed my eyes out."_

_Suppressing a chuckle, Tsunade continued. "When I send out the team to search for the body, I'll make sure to have them look over the area for any additional clues as to the events that took place at that plateau."_

_She and Kintarou nodded._

"_That's all I needed," Tsunade said warmly. "You should head to the ANBU offices."_

"_Yes, Hokage-sama," they both said in unison._

That day, they had officially entered ANBU, which had been their goal from the start. But with Takeo gone, she and Kintarou had both felt awkward filling out the entry paperwork, as if they had fulfilled their dreams at the expense of his life. When the recovery team sent to retrieve Takeo's body returned empty-handed, it had crushed them. Kintarou took it especially hard, almost as badly as Takeo's own family, blaming himself for failing to retrieve him the first time. Kaori slowly removed one of her gloves and lightly ran her fingers over the first few letters of Takeo's name engraved into the monument. She briefly recalled the funeral services, which were especially uncomfortable…

_She marched up the aisle, her sister, Kira, following her up and providing a much-needed shoulder to cry on. She had kept Takeo's forehead protector since that day at the plateau, and was reluctant to give it away as she rested it in front of the photo of her departed friend. Shinji and his dad spent a long time staring at the altar, but neither said much. Takeo's Genin teammates Hitomi and Katai, along with his sensei Hokoji, spent several minutes paying their respects, too. She noticed Kintarou struggle when it was his turn, trying to sound as official as he could while trying to apologize to Keigo and Hakumi. He managed only a few words before Keigo cut him off and took him aside._

"_It wasn't your fault, Kintarou," he said calmly. "Takeo gave his life protecting someone and fulfilling his duty for Konoha. There's nothing sad about that, and nothing you need to apologize for. The fact that you tried to find him and bring my son home says a lot about the man you are. You'll make a fine squad commander some day."_

_Kintarou frowned as he nodded._

"_I'm sure Takeo would agree," Keigo half-heartedly smiled. _

_Ren and Jana, both released from the hospital only a few days prior to the funeral, paid their respects as well. Both hesitantly approached Takeo's family, trying to convey the gratitude they had for what the boy had done. She heard the four of them share several kind words. Once everyone had offered their condolences, the crowd began to disperse. Standing alone atop the Hokage tower, the sun slowly peeking out from the gathering clouds, she, Kintarou, and_ _Takeo's parents all took turns gathering up the flowers that had been presented, before quietly turning to leave. Hakumi, with a sad smile on her face, took her hand and placed Takeo's forehead protector in it. She held back her tears, trying to return it. Keigo and Hakumi simply shook their heads._

"_We have enough things to remind us of Takeo," Hakumi said softly. "You should take this…"_

_She again tried to give it back, but relented after Keigo wrapped an arm around his wife and both of them began to leave. She tightened her grip around the now precious memento, clutching it to her chest._

And Kaori never let it go. Through every mission and every training session, she kept the treasured keepsake with her. Standing back up, the kunoichi slid her glove back on and raised her mask slightly so she could wipe the single drop forming in the corner of her eye. With a final glimpse of the monument, where Takeo's name was enshrined with the rest of Konoha's heroes who were killed in action, she dashed off into the night to continue her patrol.

It had been two years since the two had returned from their mission to Earth Country, and so much had changed in that time. They had moved on after Takeo's death, trying to focus on what was in front of them. She and Kintarou were both ANBU agents. While she was content with guard duty and the occasional reconnaissance mission, Kintarou, on the other hand, had thrown himself into every mission he could handle. Assassination, recovery, intelligence…whatever the mission entailed, Kintarou was willing to take it on. Because of that, the two of them only worked together on missions maybe once or twice a month. Outside of their ANBU obligations, they would pass each other often as they visited with Takeo's parents or stopped by Ren's home to visit with him or Jana. Shinji, who had taken them both in as his new "brother" and "sister", often hung out with the two of them when he wasn't busy with his team. Having graduated from the academy a year earlier, Shinji was quickly becoming one of Konoha's most promising Genin. Keigo had even begun training him in archery and teaching him basic jutsu (after several weeks of begging and pleading). Despite all the grief and sorrow they went through for those first few painful days after returning to Konoha, life continued to move forward. In time, the pain of losing Takeo was replaced by the warmth she and the rest of them felt when they remembered having him around.

A more delicate sense of warmth caressed Kaori's worn body as dawn came and went, the crimson glow of the rising sun erasing the slight chill in the air. Her shift was finally over, and the ANBU kunoichi couldn't have been happier. She motioned briefly at the other ANBU guards in her view, signaling that she was leaving her post. With quiet grace, Kaori leapt from her perch atop the high eastern wall and landed softly on the dew-covered grass below. She raced off toward the Hokage's tower to turn in her patrol shift report and meet briefly with her squad commander, who was scheduled to meet with the Hokage that morning.

Upon entering the building, Kaori lowered the hood over her head, revealing her sandy blonde hair. She had been wearing it much shorter than she did as a Chuunin, though she had kept the two braids hanging from her temples a little longer than the rest of her hair, so that they hung down just below her jaw. With her ANBU animal mask over her face, she found the longer braids easier to tuck away behind her ears. As she moved slowly up the staircase, Kaori deftly tossed aside her cloak, letting it drop in a heap beside the Chuunin standing guard outside the ANBU office. Kaori's slender and curvy figure hadn't changed much in the past few years, though the grind of ANBU life left her body leaner and her muscles more toned. Even with her face hidden, she still managed to take the breath away from most of the men she passed, including the stumbling guard who picked up her cloak. Ignoring his glances, she hurried on up until she encountered her squad commander. Once she handed him her report, she bowed slightly and hurried back to the ANBU office.

Inside, she removed her mask and the small katana from her back, placing both into a medium-sized backpack. Stepping into a secluded changing area, Kaori quickly changed out of her official ANBU uniform, dropping most of the gear into the pack on top of her mask and katana. Standing in a short-sleeved black fishnet top and standard dark blue pants that stopped just above her knees, Kaori grabbed her old, comfortable sleeveless robe and slipped the white garment on over the fishnet. She dusted off her black sandal boots and gathered her pack, sliding the straps over her shoulder. Before the Chuunin guard at the door could respond, Kaori dashed out of the tower almost as fast as she had entered.

Back among the crisp and clear morning air, Kaori calmly walked off, heading down towards the center of the village to keep an appointment. She passed a few fellow shinobi, waving and smiling politely at those she knew. When she reached the tiny corner shop nestled in the middle of town, she tapped her fingers gently against the glass window framed into the door. Seconds later, a bright inviting smile greeted her as the door swung open.

"Kaori-chan!"

"Hi, Jana-chan," Kaori smiled.

Kaori and Jana had grown pretty close since the mission to Earth Country had ended. Granted, Kaori was the only girl Jana knew in Konoha for a long time. But nevertheless, the two young women had gotten to know each other very well over the last two years.

"Dad is out in the garden, I think," Jana said kindly, brushing her long, platinum blonde locks away from her face.

"He usually is," Kaori replied. "Business must be booming again, huh?"

"So says our best customer," Jana winked.

Kaori chuckled as she entered the shop, inhaling the fragrant aromas filling the small apothecary. Several months after Ren and Jana were brought to Konoha, Ren had asked Tsunade about opening an herb shop, quickly recapping his days as a merchant. The medical specialist that she is, Tsunade had little trouble allowing Ren to have his business. After all, having an herbalist nearby wasn't something she could refuse. When the shop finally opened, Kaori and several of the other medical nins kept Ren and Jana busy filling orders. Every time Kaori stopped by, it seemed like the old man was busier than before.

"If he's really that busy, maybe I should come back," Kaori offered, browsing at some of the ointments lining the shelves.

"Please," Jana scoffed. "Dad wouldn't forgive me if I let you leave without saying hello. Besides, didn't you have an appointment with him anyway?"

"Yes," Kaori nodded. "But it's not that important."

"What's not that important?"

Walking in from the back door, Ren clapped his soiled hands together several times, beating the dirt from them. Kaori turned and smiled at the older man. It was still hard to believe this cheerful man was the same person they had rescued in Earth Country.

"Ah, nothing Ren-san," Kaori grinned.

"Good," Ren smiled back. "I take it you're here about your order."

Kaori nodded. "If it's not too much trouble, I was hoping to take it today. I have a mission in two days."

"Of course," Ren said politely. "I can have it ready in an hour or so, if that's okay?"

"That would be perfect," Kaori replied.

"Jana, maybe you should bring some tea while Kaori-san waits," Ren suggested as he turned to leave.

"Right," she responded.

Entering their small apartment upstairs, Jana hurriedly brewed some tea and then ran back down. Setting the wooden tray on top of the long display counter, Jana poured a cup for Kaori and herself. The two girls chatted for a few minutes, while Ren noisily worked in the back.

"Where's Kintarou today?" Jana asked as she took another sip.

"Hm? Oh, he's out on a mission," Kaori answered. "He should be back any day, though."

"That guy," Jana snickered. "Always off on something. Has he ever spent one day at home?"

Kaori laughed. "Not in a long time."

The two shared a grin before turning their eyes back towards their cups.

"So, it's been about two years, right?" Jana quietly asked.

Kaori paused before slowly nodding. "Yeah."

"Are you doing the same thing you did last year? I mean with the ceremony or whatever that Keigo-san did?"

"Probably," Kaori shrugged.

She stared into the small pool of tea remaining in her cup.

"You think it's okay if we come?" Jana inquired.

"I'm sure Keigo-san and Hakumi-san would be happy to have you there," Kaori smiled. "As would I."

"Thanks," Jana replied. "I…well, Dad and I both enjoy hearing you talk about Takeo. Dad especially…"

"Yeah…I'd imagine," Kaori nodded.

"I wish I could have met him," Jana smiled. "Or at least said thank you before…you know."

"You would have liked him, I'm sure," Kaori giggled. "He could get on your nerves sometimes, but when you needed him, he was there."

Kaori shook her head to put a stop to the impulsive tears forming in her eyes. Jana made a move to console her, but a loud, familiar voice interrupted.

"Yo, Jana-san! Nee-san!"

Kaori sighed as she and Jana turned and greeted the blonde-haired boy that entered the store. Shinji had grown out of his stocky frame, though the thirteen year-old still had a bit of baby fat on his slightly chubby cheeks.

"Hey, Shinji-kun," Kaori smiled.

"Yo, brat!" Jana teased.

"Hmph," Shinji sneered at Jana's remark. "I guess maybe I shouldn't tell you my exciting news."

"Fine by me," Jana grinned.

"What is it?" Kaori asked, politely elbowing Jana in her side.

"I'm leaving on a mission," Shinji answered excitedly. "A C-rank one."

"That's great," Kaori nodded.

"Yeah," Shinji smiled. "I just wanted to stop by and tell you. I'm not sure if we'll make it back in time for the ceremony tomorrow, so…you know."

"Got it," Kaori assured him. "Keigo-san and Hakumi-san already know, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then don't worry about it," Kaori told him, messing up his neatly combed hair. "Takeo-kun would understand."

Shinji quickly fixed his hair before silently thinking to himself. "Right. Well, I should probably get going. Hideo-sensei wants us to meet at the gates at nine."

"Good luck," Jana said, smiling apologetically for her earlier remark.

"Yeah," Kaori echoed.

The plucky Genin hurried out of the shop, leaving the two girls alone again.

"Hard to believe he's one of the more promising Genin," Kaori chuckled. "Wouldn't have thought so after the first few times I met him."

"Things change," Jana shrugged, finishing the last of her tea.

"Yeah," Kaori agreed, her thoughts beginning to wander as she spotted Ren returning with her order. "I suppose they do."


	15. Chapter 15: Shinji's Forest Fight

**A/N: Little later than I thought it would take, but it was hard to get back in a groove after vacation and school starting back up. Probably the longest chapter so far (and one of the harder ones to write)...Enjoy.**

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**CHAPTER 15**

**"SHINJI'S FOREST FIGHT"**

"Geez, you never change."

"Who asked you, Hiroko?" Shinji snapped back. "No one's making you sit here and listen."

"It's hard not to when you yell like that," she replied, tossing her chestnut brown hair back in frustration as she stoked the dwindling flames within the small clump of twigs and leaves.

"I wasn't yelling!" Shinji exclaimed.

"You are now," the third member of their team sighed.

"This doesn't count, Riku," Shinji retorted.

"Whatever," Hiroko said, digging through the pack at her feet. "Look, Riku and I have heard all of your stories before. They were kind of cool when we were younger, but now they're getting old. You've been telling us about the _great _Zuboshi family since forever. Takeo did this...Keigo-san did that... you're still that naïve, idol-worshipping kid we've known since the Academy."

Shinji paused, resisting the urge to punch the girl. Sitting around the fire, he and his team sat silently amidst the dense forests well beyond Konoha's walls. The approach of twilight had put an end to their journey for the day.

"Shut up," Shinji grumbled. "Just because I talk about them a lot doesn't mean you can understand. Even if I spent the next few years telling you about Keigo-san and Takeo nii-san, you still wouldn't know how great they are."

"Honestly, I really don't care," Hiroko shrugged. "Why should I?"

"Geez, you guys want to relax a little," Riku advised. "Those kidnappers are supposed be nearby, you know? Your arguing will scare them off."

"Hmph," Hiroko muttered. "Fine. It's not like I started it."

"Did so," Shinji responded.

"Did not."

"Did so."

"Oi, are you two deaf?" a man sighed as he appeared in a puff of smoke beside them. "I thought I told you guys to stay quiet and prepare our camp."

"We did, Hideo-sensei," Shinji replied. "But then Hiroko--"

"I didn't do anything!" Hiroko interjected.

"How old are you two again?" their sensei asked with a frown, adjusting the glasses on his rugged face. "You two are second-year Genin, not second-year Academy students. Act your age, okay?"

"Says the guy who acts like a goofy teenager around Kira-sensei," Shinji mumbled.

"My wife has nothing to do with this," Hideo smartly replied. "But thank you for volunteering to gather wood for the fire."

"Aw, that's--"

"Ha ha," Hiroko laughed mockingly.

"Hiroko, give him a hand," Hideo smiled.

"Great," she and Shinji simultaneously growled.

Minutes later, the pair of Genin were searching through the brush and the debris blanketing the forest floor, trying to quickly find enough firewood for the night before the remaining bit of sunlight faded. Purposely keeping several feet apart, Shinji and Hiroko worked silently, each avoiding the occasional angry glare by the other.

"This is your fault, you know?" Shinji commented as he bent down to grab a large branch.

"How do you figure?" Hiroko asked irately. "If anything, it's your fault."

"Me?" Shinji responded, snapping the long branch in two.

"Yeah, it's all your fault," she repeated with a satisfied grin.

"Just shut up and keep gathering wood," Shinji retorted.

The duo worked quietly for a while longer, until both of them had collected an arm full of dry kindling. Satisfied that they had enough to keep the fire going until morning, the two agreed to head back to their camp. Though the walk back was short, the seconds of silence between them dragged on like hours.

"Look," Hiroko began suddenly. "I'm sorry about before. Even if I do get sick of hearing you go on and on about your friends, I didn't have to explode like that."

"Yeah," Shinji nodded, grinning as he noticed the annoyed expression on Hiroko's face. "I'm sorry, too...I guess. I suppose I get carried away when it comes to Keigo-san and Takeo nii-san."

"That's an understatement," Hiroko mumbled.

"It's just that they're like family," Shinji continued, ignoring her remark. "Takeo nii-san was always there to hang out with me, or talk with me when I needed to. When my dad was out on missions or on duty, he'd let me bunk in his room. When a couple of older kids started picking on me, he stepped in and helped me...he really was my older brother. And since he's been gone, Keigo-san has kind of stepped in. He's taught me so much, helping me train like he helped his own son."

"I think I get it," Hiroko smiled. "You like bragging about your family."

"Yeah, er...no," Shinji stumbled. "I guess I like talking about them so I don't forget all the help they've given me."

Hiroko nodded. "That I can understand…"

"So you're not gonna throw a fit next time I mention them?" Shinji asked with a grin.

"No, I'll still say something," Hiroko smirked. "But now that I sort of get why you do it, it'll mostly be just to annoy you."

Shinji shook his head, suppressing a laugh. He and Hiroko exchanged glances, their eyes meeting with a look of mutual understanding. Their brief moment of peace was loudly interrupted by noises and voices emanating from their camp. Dropping the stacks of wood in their hands, both Genin sprinted back towards the sounds. They froze immediately, staring at the strange site before them. Half a dozen unconscious men lay scattered about their campsite as four cloaked figures moved to surround Hideo, who was protecting a crouching Riku. Dressed in gray robes with pale yellow lining, the quartet of identical foes slowly began to approach. Hiroko and Shinji instinctively jumped in to help.

"Hideo-sensei!" Shinji shouted as he ran beside him.

"Shinji. Hiroko. I'm glad you're okay," Hideo said quickly.

"Sensei," Hiroko said as she too leapt beside him.

"You two should have analyzed the situation before jumping in, though," Hideo continued. "With the dense trees and bushes around here, we'd have the advantage if we weren't all gathered out in the open."

"What's going on?" Shinji promptly asked him, reaching down into his pack for his bow as he readied a kunai in his other hand. "Who are these guys and who are the ones laying on the ground?"

"The men on the ground are our targets," Riku answered as he stood, pushing his fiery red hair out of his eyes. "The ones in the robes attacked them before they turned on us."

"What?" Hiroko quickly responded. "Why?"

"Not quite sure yet," Hideo quietly answered. "While you two were gone, several of the kidnappers spotted us. Before Riku or I could act, however, they attacked them."

"So what do we do?" Shinji impatiently inquired.

"You three stay back," Hideo ordered as he took a few steps forward.

The robed figures turned their shadow-covered faces towards the Jounin, showing no signs of backing down. Before Hideo could open his mouth to speak, two of the men rushed towards him.

"Hideo-sensei! Shinji shouted as he charged.

"Stay back!" Hideo yelled.

His words came too late to stop the eager Genin. Shinji tossed his kunai at one of the robed men rushing toward his sensei, stopping them both in their tracks. Leaping into the air, Shinji hurled his bow back towards Hiroko and Riku as he withdrew a tiny orb from his equipment pouch. The two remaining foes dashed beside the other pair that had moved forward; the four of them looked up, their heads following the boy's hand as he threw the sphere towards them. As it hit the ground, the orb exploded; a thick, gray smoke quickly encircled the four men and soon blanketed what little daylight remained in the area. Shinji gathered his chakra as Hideo moved towards him.

"Shinji, regroup with the others."

The Genin didn't respond, either ignoring his team leader's order or simply not hearing it over his own voice. "Kemuriran!"

As a faint white aura clouded over his eyes, Shinji dove into the cloud cover. He shook his head as his vision adjusted to the black and white world created by the jutsu. The rolling clouds of smoke became translucent as the ground, trees, and other solid objects grew darker. Darting his enhanced eyes around, Shinji quickly spotted the four robed figures within the mist. Withdrawing another kunai, he dashed towards the nearest one, catching the man off guard as he slashed across his chest. The heavy clothe of his robe tore easily, shreds of the gray fabric flying through the smoke-filled air as the man beneath it cried out. Shinji suppressed a grin, until the darkened figure exploded in a burst of smoke, vanishing from his view.

"They're not all real," Shinji loudly said as he raced towards another one. "I just took out a clone."

Outside the edge of the dissipating cloud of smoke, Hideo gathered his other two students around him. Hearing Shinji's voice, he turned his attention quickly back to his student within the smokescreen.

"I know," he called back. "Shinji, there is only one real enemy. The rest are shadow clones."

Hearing his sensei's words, Shinji turned away from the second figure as it too disappeared in a puff of smoke. The two remaining foes chuckled slightly beneath their hoods, bringing their hands up and forming seals. Even though his vision was still constricted to this grayscale world, Shinji could see enough to notice the intricate sequence of seals. He immediately took off away from the pair, shouting a warning to his teammates outside the smoke. As he neared the edge of the darkened mist, the chakra from his eyes faded. He heard Hiroko's shouting as the robed nin and his clone finished their seals.

"Raiton: Makuden no Jutsu. (_Thunder Element: Sheet Lightning Technique_)"

A faint crackling sound surrounded the man and his clone as bursts of static energy discharged from their hands and feet. A bright flash accompanied the heavy bolt of lightning that struck the patch of grass between the two. Immediately after, they thrust their hands onto the ground. The surface of the forest floor began to glow as a powerful wave of electricity surged forth from beneath the robed men's hands, covering the ground in a lethal lightning-powered sheet that was quickly catching up to Shinji. Frantically trying to outrun the attack, the Genin quickly realized how futile it was. As he spun his head around, he caught a glimpse of the thin wave of electricity approaching before he felt himself lifted off of the ground, barely clearing the static charge now covering it. Looking up, Shinji met eye-to-eye with Hideo, who was hanging upside down from the branch of a large tree.

"Th-Thanks." Shinji squeaked.

Hideo shook his head attempting to reply before the mysterious nin called out.

"That won't help."

The robed ninja and his clone concentrated harder; the crackling sheet of electrical energy began to glow brighter and random bursts of lightning began shooting up from it towards the sky. Realizing the situation, Hideo quickly tossed Shinji back towards Hiroko and Riku, away from danger. Once he was out of range of the attack, Hideo flipped himself back onto the top of the branch and jumped across several trees until he, too, was safe.

"That's a Jounin-level jutsu," he said, loud enough to draw the robed shinobi's attention.

One of the figures waved a hand, and the lone remaining shadow clone disappeared along with the attack blanketing the forest floor. As it vanished, the man stepped out and forcefully ripped away the heavy robe on his body. His thick, muscular form now in plain sight, the three Genin to one side of him stepped back slightly, feeling their nerves overcome them. Laughing, the ninja glanced towards Hideo. Catching sight of the worn forehead protector across his thick head, the Konoha Jounin cursed himself. Engraved into the metal plate was the symbol of the Hidden Cloud Village; a large, deep scratch ran straight through the mark.

"A missing nin?" Hideo shouted, trying to draw the nin's attention away from his students. "What would you be doing in Fire Country?"

The large man smiled, turning away from him. "Sorry…won't work. Shouldn't have left them open."

Before Hideo could react, the Cloud shinobi raced toward his students. Hideo dashed from atop the tree branches in pursuit. With all the speed he could muster, he closed the distance enough to counter the nin's charge. Faster than his students had seen him move, Hideo removed a pair of kunai from his pack and tossed them out, one flying past either side of the Cloud ninja. Before the missing nin could turn and respond, a thin wire that had been tied to the handle of each blade pressed against his back. The kunai slowed as they crossed paths, coiling the wire around the Cloud shinobi. While his hands were still free, his movement had slowed enough for Hideo to catch up and ram a foot into his backside. The man fell face first to the ground, before his body exploded in a puff of smoke. Hideo's face contorted in frustration as he hurriedly scanned the area. He never saw the white-hot bolt of electricity erupt from beneath his feet.

"Hideo-sensei!"

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Several miles away, three masked shinobi turned towards the bright flash of light in the darkened sky.

"Captain?"

The largest of the three stepped forward, gazing through the white bear-shaped mask on his face. "That's the second time we've seen lightning shoot up to the sky, correct?"

"Yes, Captain," the other two ANBU responded.

"Right. We should investigate."

"Agreed," the other two nodded in unison.

The trio of ANBU agents was off in a flash, speeding towards the direction of the lightning.

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Seeing Hideo lying face first on the forest floor with scorch marks covering his flak jacket, Shinji raced towards his fallen sensei, ignoring Riku's warnings. A powerful blow to the boy's side quickly knocked him away. Tumbling along the ground back towards his teammates, Shinji growled in frustration as he came to a stop against Hiroko and Riku's cushioning arms. The three Genin looked up, watching the Cloud nin dust himself off after emerging from his hiding place underneath the ground.

"Are you okay?" Hiroko asked Shinji.

"…Yeah…fine…" he replied shortly.

"Come on," Riku said as he and Hiroko helped their friend to his feet.

"We have to help Hideo-sensei," Shinji said.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Hiroko questioned.

Shinji didn't respond, readying himself before charging towards the Cloud ninja. The towering man grinned, pulling a giant mace from a holster on his back. The abnormally large iron sphere at the handle's end supported two dagger-sized spikes that curved upwards from either side like horns. The sight of the intimidating weapon made the young Genin racing towards him hesitate. Though only a second, the delay was long enough for the brawny nin to rush forward and again knock the boy aside. Tossed to the ground like a mere toy, Shinji grimaced as he lay on his side, trying to regain his wind. The Cloud nin leaping through the air several feet above him wouldn't allow it as he swung his mace down.

"Tettsui! (_Iron Hammer_)"

The enormous pain that impacted Shinji's torso was more than the boy could take. His agonizing gasps were muffled quickly, though, as the large man kicked the Genin aside.

"Shinji!" Hiroko cried, gathering herself as she and Riku eyed one another.

The missing nin chuckled as he slung his weapon over his shoulder, turning his attention towards the two remaining members of the Konoha team. The pair glanced at Shinji's now unconscious form lying helpless on the ground and realized that they were out of their league. Before either could make a move to escape, though, the Cloud nin was barreling towards them, brandishing his deadly mace. Hiroko and Riku leapt away as fast as they could, both narrowly escaping the destructive force of the spiked weapon as it smashed a large hole into the earth. Landing awkwardly, Hiroko stumbled to her knees. Their well-built opponent took advantage and immediately lunged towards her.

"Look out," Riku managed to shout as he dashed beside her.

Pushed out of harm's way, Hiroko stumbled back a few feet, landing near the campsite. She lurched forward, looking up in time to catch a glimpse of Riku taking a vicious blow to his arm. Her teammate flew back, rolling onto his backside as his body came to a stop. His left arm hung limply on the ground beside him, an enormous bruise forming across his entire shoulder. Seeing another of her teammates injured at the hands of the Cloud ninja, Hiroko could only watch as the man again rushed towards her. She tried to move but found her legs paralyzed with a mix of fear, frustration, and helplessness. Covering her head, she cowered as she listened to the pounding of the heavy footsteps approaching.

"Doton: Iwa Tate no Jutsu! (_Earth Element: Rock Shield Technique_)"

Hiroko's eyes opened slightly, and then grew wide as she saw the heavy ground at her feet rise up. A large, thick slab of rock and earth formed in front of her; a loud smash cracked the surface as the missing nin's mace crashed against it. Pulling the heavy weapon back, the man sneered as his head swiveled about.

"This kid couldn't have done that," he shouted irately. Who's interfering with my fun?"

Waiting a moment, the ninja received no audible reply. The only response was the whistling of a kunai zooming towards his backside. Turning and swatting the blade away with his mace, the Cloud nin paused as he frustratingly clenched the handle of his weapon. Suddenly, he felt something small strike him in the back of his neck. Bringing a hand to the spot, the man spun and spotted a small pebble lying on the ground. Directly behind it, Hiroko shakily stood, nervously peering out from behind the shield of rock.

"That was stupid," the burly ninja grunted.

Hiroko froze. "I didn't do anything…"

As she spoke, a small fragment of the rock slab in front of her broke free and flew towards the approaching Cloud nin, who arrogantly knocked it aside with his hand. Two more pieces broke free and followed. From atop the tree a few feet behind Hiroko, a figure leapt to the broken earth beside her.

"Doton: Koishi Danmaku. (_Earth Element: Pebble Swarm_)"

The large rock slab shielding Hiroko suddenly splintered apart. Hundreds of small pebbles simultaneously flew towards the Cloud nin, who jumped back as he wildly flailed his weapon to protect himself from the rock fragments circling and diving towards him. Dodging and swatting, the ninja finally fell to a knee as the barrage of pebbles subsided. Several scratches and scrapes marred the missing nin's face and arms.

"I don't remember inviting you into our fight," the man snarled as he angrily stood, clenching the handle of his mace.

"I doubt these Leaf shinobi invited you into theirs," the man beside Hiroko replied.

Spitting into his direction, the Cloud nin leered. He lifted his heavy weapon into the air, and stormed towards the opposing shinobi.

"Stay back."

Hiroko acknowledged the man's words and slowly backed away. She kept an eye on him as he raced to intercept the Cloud ninja charging towards them. She turned and hurried over to Riku, scooping up most of their gear as she ran.

"You okay?" she said quietly as she knelt beside him, pulling first aid equipment from one of the packs.

"My arm is pretty much useless," he answered as he struggled to lift himself with his good arm. "But I'll live. What about Shinji and Hideo-sensei?"

Hiroko didn't answer; instead looking back in the direction she had run from. Riku followed her eyes, observing the outlines of their fallen teammates beyond the two shinobi fighting in the clearing beside their camp.

"Why are you here?" the Cloud nin coldly inquired, lunging towards the other shinobi.

"Why does it matter?" he replied, jumping over the missing nin's head and spinning back around to deliver a swift kick across the back of his neck.

Flipping back out of range, the shinobi watched the Cloud nin stumble forward a few steps. The large man steadied himself and turned, scowling, and raised his left hand as he lifted his mace high above his head with his right. He quickly began forming one-handed seals.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. Saves me the trouble of looking," he snorted.

A flicker of light spread through the Cloud nin's eyes as he glared at the man standing before him. A tingling aura in the air made the unknown shinobi and the two Konoha Genin quietly observing the battle pause. The Cloud nin smiled eagerly as he finished his seals.

"Ninpou, Kyuuden! (_Ninja Art, Ball Lightning_)"

A brilliant flash of light accompanied the surge of electricity that flowed from the man's hand into the weapon clasped within his palm. The iron sphere at the end of the mace was aglow with a radiant white-hot light as miniature lightning bolts hopped between the two dagger-like spikes affixed to the ball. Laughing quietly, the Cloud nin turned and barreled towards the other shinobi, who quickly backed away, slowing the missing nin's progress with a handful of shuriken. Without warning, the Cloud ninja halted his advance, grinning from ear to ear as he grasped his weapon with both hands.

"Everyone assumes Hidden Cloud jutsus are just thunder and lightning," the Cloud nin cackled. "No one remembers our magnetic jutsus…"

The large metal orb at the end of the handle suddenly broke free and hovered in the air above it. Before the other shinobi could react, the heavy iron sphere was speeding towards him, several stray electrical bolts discharging from the horn-like spikes. With surprising ease, the stranger leapt over the sphere and continued towards the Cloud nin. A vile look of excitement spread over the brawny man's face as he held out the weapon's handle, the end of which began to glow and crackle until a powerful burst of energy leapt from it. The bolt charged straight towards the separated head of the mace, leaving the shinobi racing ahead directly in the path of the lightning. He did his best to avoid it, however a sharp burning sensation cutting into his thigh told him he wasn't fast enough. The shinobi fell; doing his best to roll clear of any follow-up attack. A pair of unexpected hands helped soften his tumbling. The man glanced back, seeing the nervous eyes of Hiroko and Riku. Ignoring the pain, he gingerly stood up and looked back towards the Cloud nin, who was smiling victoriously. The shinobi saw the electrically charged iron sphere racing towards them. He dove to the ground, covering the younger ninja and receiving a few zaps from the stray bolts discharging from the mace's head. The Cloud nin guided the lightning-empowered orb back in their direction as the other shinobi and the two Genin rose. Meeting their eyes with his own, the shinobi that had come to their rescue tried to repeat the favor as he clasped Shinji's bow, which was lying atop the Genins' gear. In a flash, he had fitted an arrow from the pack beside Hiroko and let it fly towards the Cloud nin.

The loud thud of the iron sphere hitting the ground was topped only by the man's earsplitting scream as the arrow pierced the wrist of the hand that had been holding the mace's handle. The jagged-edge of the arrowhead was buried deep within his flesh, rendering it useless. Irate and seething, the Cloud nin turned back towards the other shinobi, who was already dashing towards him, twirling a second arrow in his hand. Ignoring his throbbing forearm, the Cloud nin instinctively lunged forward to attack. His desperate punches were easily blocked, leaving him open as the shinobi drove the second arrow into the Cloud nin's other hand. Frozen in frustration and pain, the burly missing nin could only watch as the shinobi before him knocked him into the air with a heavy kick. As his large body soared upward through the tree branches, a flash of black zoomed past. The Cloud ninja never saw the shinobi gazing at him from above.

"Ninpou, Konoha Setsudanki! (_Ninja Art, Leaf Cutter_)"

The foliage on the surrounding branches began rustling as each green-colored leaf began swirling around the shinobi. An eerie glow surrounded the gathering mass of leaves as they quickly rained down upon the Cloud nin soaring upwards. The points sharpened by the shinobi's chakra, each leaf was like a razor blade as it struck, slicing into the missing nin's flesh. Bloodied and pained, the Cloud nin was barely awake when the shinobi drove his feet into his ribs, plunging him into the ground below.

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"Captain!"

"I heard it," the shinobi in the bear mask said. "Be ready for anything."

Each of the three sprinting ANBU drew a katana from the sheath across their back. Holding the freshly sharpened blades in front of them, they hurried towards the sounds of battle that had steadily been growing. Emerging into a clearing between several large trees, the ANBU shinobi glanced around, immediately noticing the unconscious ninja lying haphazardly in a tiny crater of dirt and leaves. Behind the large man, several figures were moving about. Two shorter shadows crept up beside them.

"ANBU? Thank God…" a boy sighed as he cradled his injured arm.

"Riku?" Hiroko said, before noticing the three shinobi standing before her. "Ah! You guys are…Hideo-sensei!"

A man in the distance moved slowly, cradling a lifeless form in his arms as another man leaned against him for support. Emerging into the soft light of the setting sun, Hideo smiled slightly at his students before standing gingerly on his own. The three ANBU raced towards him immediately.

"Ichinoki Hideo?" the female ANBU asked.

"Yes…" he replied.

"You!" the other ANBU called, pointing at the man carrying Shinji. "Are you a shinobi? Where is your forehead protector?"

"Lost it," the man answered as he walked right past him.

"Captain! He…Captain?"

The large ANBU captain stood silently, letting his katana drop suddenly to the ground. Behind his bear mask, his hazel eyes were glued to the man as he approached.

"N-Noppo…?"


	16. Chapter 16: Reunion

**A/N: Quick chapter...hope it doesn't come across as rushed as it somehow felt. Anyway, enjoy.**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

**CHAPTER 16**

**"REUNION"**

"Noppo?"

The other two ANBU turned towards their awestruck captain as he repeated the name.

"Who?" the female in the rabbit-shaped mask asked.

"Captain, do you know him?" the shorter male shinobi inquired, keeping a sharp eye on the man through his tiger-styled mask.

The imposing ANBU captain again said nothing as he focused on the man before him.

"Sir?" the ANBU kunoichi said as she nudged him.

"Oh, ah…you two…secure the area," he responded, finally snapping out of his daze and picking up his katana. "I would like to speak with him in private for a moment."

"Understood, sir."

Addressing the man carrying Shinji, the ANBU captain adjusted his bear mask. "You can leave him with "Tiger". He's a medical specialist."

The other shinobi carefully laid the injured Genin on the ground beside his standing teammates, and then calmly began walking beside the ANBU captain. Without a word, the two disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

"Right," the female ANBU said soon after. "Tiger, tend to the boy. Hideo-san, could you tell me what happened."

Grimacing slightly as he lowered himself onto an overturned log, Hideo nodded. "My team and I were dispatched on a C-rank mission. Several men had apparently kidnapped a boy from a nearby village. We tracked them to the forest around this area. A pair of them had spotted our fire, and soon all six were here. Our plan to lure them out was successful, but before we could act, a missing Cloud nin attacked them and turned on us."

"Did he mention why?"

"No," Hideo sighed. "As ashamed as I am to admit it, that's all I know. He managed to knock me out for a while."

"What about you two?" the ANBU woman asked, pointing at Riku and Hiroko.

The two Genin were watching worryingly as the male ANBU checked over their injured teammate. Shinji looked pale, and after the medic had removed the boy's shirt, both Hiroko and Riku recoiled at the discoloration and swelling marring his left side.

"He's in good hands," the kunoichi said as she placed a gloved hand on Hiroko's head. "I need you two to tell me what happened."

Noticing Hiroko's distant gaze, Riku turned and frowned. "After Hideo-sensei was subdued, the man turned on us. Shinji charged at him, which wasn't exactly smart, and he was…well, you can see…"

"And what about you?" she questioned, turning her masked face towards his motionless arm.

"Oh, um, I took a hit to my shoulder," Riku answered. "Nothing too serious."

"Tiger will look at it once he's finished with your friend," the female ANBU responded. "If you would please continue and—"

"He saved us," Hiroko suddenly spoke, turning and intently eyeing the woman. "After Shinji and Riku were attacked, the Cloud ninja tried to attack me, but he stopped him. He fought him and beat him. He even helped us with Hideo-sensei after he regained consciousness."

"Did he say anything? The shinobi who helped you?" the ANBU woman asked. "Where he was from, what he was doing in Fire Country?"

"No," Hiroko replied, shaking her head.

"That Cloud ninja seemed like he might have known him," Riku offered. "By the way he talked to him, I mean."

"I see," the kunoichi nodded.

"All set," the other ANBU announced as he rose to his feet. "There's nothing more I can do here. We should get him back to Konoha and to the hospital. He's stable at the moment, but I can't treat any internal injuries out here without confirming a diagnosis."

"But he's okay?" Hiroko nervously inquired.

"He should be fine," he assured her.

"That's a relief," Riku sighed as he and Hiroko smiled briefly at one another.

"Right. Tiger, check over this one's arm. I'm going to inform the captain."

"Got it."

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Beneath the overhanging branches of the forest's towering trees, the ANBU captain and the other shinobi stood, partially veiled in the darkness created by the dense canopy. The two were silent; the taller ANBU occasionally glanced over at the other shinobi, looking him over. The build was the same; lean and toned, though he looked more tanned than he remembered. Same black pants, though they were more form fitting and slightly shorter. A small bit of his shin was visible between the bottom of each leg and the bandaging wrapped around his calves and ankles. Even the sandals were the same: traditional Konoha-style black. As the shinobi scratched his arm, the ANBU eyed the familiar looking black shirt hugging the man's chest beneath his dark blue jacket. Gazing at his face, the ANBU noticed the brown eyes looking back at him from beneath the long wavy strands of brown hair tussled atop the shinobi's head. His hair was a little longer, but the same; the eyes, too, were identical, though they appeared to have dulled a bit from the ones he remembered. The only foreign characteristic about the man was the finger-length scar that curled around the lower portion of his right eye and up to the bridge of his nose. Tired of arguing with himself in his own mind, the ANBU finally broke the silence.

"Takeo?'

"Yeah?"

The ANBU slowly turned and moved within inches of the shinobi. "As I am sure you are aware, ANBU are trained in many forms of interrogation. Zuboshi Takeo was declared dead two years ago. What proof do you have that you and he are one in the same?"

Folding his arms across his unzipped jacket, the man sighed. "What do you want to know, Kintarou?"

Startled, the ANBU lifted the mask from his face, resting it on top of his thick black hair. He scratched at the stubble bearding his cheeks and chin.

"Parents' names?"

"Keigo and Hakumi."

"My parents?"

"Never met your mom. Kenta, your dad, died when you were young."

Kintarou frowned. "Our last mission?"

"A-rank. Special field examination for ANBU applications…looks like you passed."

"Mission details?" Kintarou countered.

"Escorting Ren-san from Earth Country back to Konoha. Several Sound nin had kidnapped his daughters and laid a trap for us. We fought them until Ren took off. I followed him while you and Kaori stayed behind."

"Who is Kaori?"

"Oi, Kintarou."

"Please answer the question."

The shinobi sighed. "Hirashi Kaori. Our teammate on the mission and several others before that. Really pretty; blonde hair, blue eyes…you called her a "goddess" when we first teamed together during the Chuunin Exams, then after she tricked us into working at her family's restaurant, you called her a—"

"Enough," Kintarou said sternly as his face flushed.

The ANBU scowled slightly as he stepped even closer. A bright, wide grin spread across his face as he wrapped a large arm around the shinobi's neck.

"It really is you!"

"K-Kintarou," Takeo choked out, trying to free himself.

Grabbing Kintarou's wrist, Takeo swung the leg nearest to Kintarou forward. With a quick shove to Kintarou's backside, Takeo managed to push the burly ANBU off of his head and into the ground as his leg swept back, tripping him. A mouthful of dirt and leaves wasn't enough to deter Kintarou, who hopped to his feet. The two former teammates eyed one another, again stuck in a moment of stillness. Neither of them had any desire to deal with the answers to the obvious questions.

"So, are you okay?" Kintarou said slowly. "I mean from whatever happened back there."

"Yeah," Takeo nodded. "Nothing too important."

"Is your leg okay?" Kintarou asked as he eyed the scorched line of material stained with blood on Takeo's thigh.

"I've had worse," he replied. "Give me a day or two and it should heal fine."

"Great."

"Yeah."

Stuck in another moment void of conversation, the two spent several uncomfortable minutes reliving memories from their brief history as teammates. Both men feigned smiles and forced out a laugh or two at the funnier ones. Eventually, when they had run out of topics to distract them, Kintarou slipped back against the base of the tree behind him and slid down to the ground. Stretching out his legs, the ANBU shinobi shook his head.

"As awkward as this is, you do realize how everyone in Konoha will react to the news, do you not?" he asked, his voice growing more solemn.

Takeo sighed, his eyes wandering elsewhere. "I'm not an idiot."

"You'll forgive me if I disagree," Kintarou replied. "It's been two years, Takeo. If you were alive and okay, why would you not return home? To put Keigo-sama and Hakumi-san through that, having to give you up for dead, and make them and those of us that know you suffer through a memorial service…that is exactly what an idiot would do."

"Shut up!" Takeo snapped. "Do you honestly think I would put my family through something like that? If I'd had my way, I'd have been right along side you and Kaori on the trip home after saving Ren-san. I'd probably be in ANBU right now and off doing some mission instead of fighting off another missing nin."

"Another?"

"The point is that I couldn't go back to Konoha," Takeo said, practically shouting. "I didn't have a choice. It was…nothing…never mind…."

"What?" Kintarou asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Takeo coldly replied, turning away. "It's none of your concern."

"As a friend and teammate, I believe it is my concern," Kintarou responded.

"_Former_ teammate," Takeo quietly corrected. "The fancy mask on your head says you've moved up a bit, _Captain_."

Kintarou paused, flinching at the sting of guilt pinching his gut. "Regardless, I want to know what happened. And if you cannot or will not talk to me, you know that Hokage-sama will ask you the same questions. And Keigo-sama. And Hakumi-san, Kaori-san, Shinji-kun—"

"I get it," Takeo retorted. "If and when the time comes, and they do ask, I'll tell them the same thing I'm telling you now. I was doing my job."

"What does that mean?" Kintarou questioned, rising to his feet.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Takeo callously answered. "And I really don't want to talk about it anymore."

Kintarou frowned, lowering the mask back over his face. "As you wish. We're heading back to Konoha immediately. Shinji-kun's team needs medical attention, and we have a mission report to deliver. You can come with us."

"I'll be fine on my own," Takeo replied, his expression and tone softening slightly.

"Let me rephrase that," Kintarou quickly barked. "Zuboshi Takeo, as captain of ANBU cell seventeen, I am ordering you to accompany us to Konoha and to see the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade-sama. If you fail to comply with this request, we will take you back by force."

Looking unhappily up towards the early evening sky, Takeo sighed. "Always giving me orders…"

"And you still never listen to a thing I say," Kintarou replied, his slight smile hidden behind his mask. "Oh, here."

Takeo's hand instinctively reached up and snagged the roll of bandaging Kintarou had tossed. "I told you I'm fine."

"With Shinji and Hideo-sensei injured, we have to walk back to the village. The last thing we need is to have to drag you along as well."

"Fine…"

Hurriedly tending to the wound on his leg, Takeo tossed the few inches that remained of the roll back at Kintarou, who calmly placed it back into his equipment pouch. Having settled that, the two turned and began heading back towards the clearing. A few yards outside of the area, the female ANBU agent caught up with them and briefly informed Kintarou of what she had learned.

"I see," he nodded. "The kidnappers and the missing nin are all incapacitated at the moment, correct?"

"Yes, sir," the kunoichi replied.

"Has the boy that was taken been recovered?" Kintarou asked.

"Hideo-san believes he knows where their camp is, so it shouldn't be too hard to retrieve him," she answered.

Her captain nodded. "Has Shinji been treated?"

"Yes, sir. Tiger stabilized most of the more serious injuries, however he advised that we hurry back to Konoha and take the boy to the hospital."

"Right," Kintarou agreed. "With seven criminals here, we cannot leave them unguarded. Therefore, we will split up. You and Tiger will stay here and secure the kidnappers and the missing nin. Send up a message flare and wait for backup before attempting to rescue the boy from the camp. If these are indeed all of the kidnappers, he should be safe long enough for you to wait. When we arrive back in Konoha, I'll have Tsunade-sama send a team back here just in case."

"Yes, Captain." The ANBU woman nodded. "But, are you sure you should travel home alone? Hideo-san is still weak and his Genin students won't be of much use either should you be attacked. And I don't believe it's wise to trust this homeless nin."

Kintarou chuckled. "He's not a homeless nin, anymore."

"Y-Yes sir."

The ANBU kunoichi moved over towards their other ANBU squad member and informed him of the plan. Kintarou nodded to Takeo as the two walked over to Hideo and his team. Without a word, Takeo scooped Shinji back up in his arms and began walking. Hiroko and Riku both began to protest, but Kintarou waved them off.

"The six of us will be going back to Konoha together. Tiger and Rabbit will stay behind and secure the Cloud ninja as well as your kidnappers," Kintarou announced, laying a hand on Hiroko's tense shoulder as he noticed her eyeing Shinji. "He is okay. You don't have to worry. Takeo will be especially careful with him."

The girl slowly nodded before abruptly looking up, her narrow eyes suddenly widening. "T-Takeo?"

Kintarou paused. "Yes."

Hiroko glanced at Riku as the group gathered their equipment and prepared to leave. The two Genin watched intently as Takeo carried their teammate's limp form through the dimly lit woods, only pausing every so often to speak with their sensei, who was slowly bringing up the rear. Despite the relative calm of the twilight atmosphere, neither of them were close enough to hear their friend slowly stirring.

"…N-Nii…san…"

Takeo glanced down, but saw the boy's eyes still closed and showing no signs of waking anytime soon. Walking beside him, Kintarou locked his hazel eyes onto him, keeping a close watch as the six marched slowly through the forest, heading for home.


	17. Chapter 17: There's No Place Like

**A/N: Next chapter is here, another**** hard one ****to write****. As usual please Read & Review**

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**CHAPTER 17**

**"THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE…"**

"Home," Hiroko sighed wearily.

"Finally," Riku said, echoing her relief. "We should hurry to the hospital."

Takeo lifted his eyes for a moment and stared ahead of the two Genin at the familiar walls standing in the distance. After being away from the village for so long, home didn't seem like the best word to use. Life in Konoha had continued on without him, and the realization that his family and friends had likely moved on after the past two years tore at his heart. He knew as soon as he stepped through those gates, any sense of peace and closure they had obtained would be shattered. There would be questions, a lot of questions. Questions that he knew he couldn't answer. As if sensing Takeo's inner confliction, Shinji stirred slightly, mumbling a few slurred words.

"Yeah…balance…key…Keigo…san…"

Takeo smirked, his father's voice suddenly playing over in his head. He'd heard those words more times than he could count. An unexpected chill swept through the early morning air, causing the boy he held in his arms to shift around again. Takeo stopped, readjusting Shinji's dormant body so the Genin didn't slip through his hands. Walking beside him, Kintarou glanced over. Takeo waved him off, nodding that everything was under control. Hiroko and Riku, meanwhile, hurried to the large gates up ahead. The tall wooden doors were a welcome site to the two Genin after their long and unpredictably perilous journey, knowing that safety and comfort awaited them behind those walls. Hideo sighed, as he hobbled after his students, mumbling something neither Takeo nor Kintarou caught. As the group drew closer to the gates, the weight of all that had happened suddenly pressed down upon them. They all felt the same wave of emotional exhaustion sweep over their bodies, though Takeo and Kintarou hid it well. When the others paused a few feet outside the gate, Kintarou continued forward. The ANBU captain waited several silent seconds before finally calling out.

"ANBU cell number seventeen returning from mission. Please open the gates."

Standing quietly for several more seconds, Kintarou listened to the movement and muffled voices on the other side of the doors. As they began to creak open, Takeo and the others slowly stepped forward. Holding an arm out, Kintarou stopped them. From the shadows beneath the giant gate, two masked ANBU appeared. Both men nodded to Kintarou, who lowered his arm as he nodded back.

"On our return home," he began, "we encountered a Genin team in distress. Several of them, including their sensei, require medical attention. If it's not too much trouble, I would ask that someone accompany them to the hospital."

"That shouldn't be a problem," one of the ANBU replied. "One of our medics is on patrol tonight. She should be able to accompany them."

"Good," Kintarou replied. "Also, as a result of their injuries, the team was unable to remain behind to secure several criminals. The other two members of my cell are currently guarding them, however it would be helpful if a team was dispatched to assist in transporting them."

"That's up to Hokage-sama," the other guard informed him. "When she wakes up, we'll give her the details."

"That isn't necessary," Kintarou said, turning towards Takeo. "We have to speak with her immediately as it is."

Takeo kept his gaze straight ahead as the two ANBU guards eyed him suspiciously.

"And he is?" one of them inquired.

"An important person," Kintarou answered quickly. "He has vital knowledge regarding a recently deceased Konoha shinobi. Hokage-sama will need to see him right away."

"Very well," the second guard nodded. "Leave the others to us."

Feeling the ANBU's guarded gaze, Takeo gently set Shinji in Hideo's outstretched arms.

"Right," Kintarou nodded, grasping Takeo's shoulder. "We should go."

Takeo nodded back and began walking off.

"Wait," Kintarou ordered as he hurriedly moved beside him.

"It's not like I forgot the way there," Takeo sighed.

Knowing he couldn't see, Kintarou let a tiny grin spread across his masked face. "As far as they know, you are a foreigner here. If you wander off by yourself, there is no telling what the patrol guards may do."

With reluctance, Takeo slowed his pace, hanging a step or two behind Kintarou as they walked towards the Hokage's tower. Behind them, the ANBU guards at the gate were looking over Hiroko and Riku. Hideo stopped them before either could make a move towards him.

"I'm fine," he assured them. "This boy is the one in need of the most attention."

"We sent for the medic," the first guard told him, brushing an errant leaf from his frog-styled mask. "As soon as she arrives, she'll see to it."

On cue, a figure hopped to the ground behind them. She lowered the hood of her black cloak, letting her tussled mess of sandy blonde hair dance around in the predawn breeze. The ANBU kunoichi moved towards them, nodding to the two ANBU guards. The men whispered something to her. Once they moved back, she approached Hideo, glancing at the boy in his arms. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Shinji?"

"Yes," Hideo nodded, glancing at the kunoichi. "This is Shinji. He was severely injured. The other ANBU worked on him in the field, and suggested we bring him immediately to the hospital."

Lifting a gloved hand, the ANBU medic let it hover above the boy's chest as a green chakra aura began glowing from her palm. Behind the white dove-shaped mask, the woman's blue eyes caught the faint glow of the moon as its fading light radiated down through the village. Concentrating on the unconscious Genin in Hideo's arms, she hurriedly diagnosed his condition.

"Most of the life-threatening wounds appear to be healed," she remarked as she brought her hand back. "But several of his ribs have been broken. The bones themselves have been stabilized, but there are several small fragments that are dangerously close to piercing his lung. I've set up a barrier to keep the fragments in place until we arrive at the hospital. We should hurry, however. Hideo-san, try not to jostle him as we move."

"Of course," he replied.

"If the other kids are able to move, we'll get going," she said.

Hiroko and Riku quickly nodded and moved beside their sensei.

"Good," the kunoichi responded, glancing towards the first guard. "Frog, tell the commander my patrol report will be a little late."

"I doubt he'll care since it's you, Dove."

Suppressing a laugh, the ANBU woman signaled to Hideo and the others. In a flash, they were off towards the direction of the village hospital.

A few streets over, Takeo and Kintarou marched along towards the Hokage's office. As was apparently now the custom, the two remained silent as they moved, though one of them would occasionally make a random remark or two.

"Seems peaceful," Takeo said.

"Yes. For the most part, things have been relatively quiet," Kintarou told him.

"That's good," Takeo replied. "Peace and quiet should be nice for a change."

Kintarou observed him closely. "I assume whatever it is you've been doing for the last two years wasn't then?"

Takeo looked up towards the fading starlit sly, his distant eyes wandering to the faint glow on the horizon. He cradled his head in his hands, responding only with silence.

"I also assume that scar around your eye is fairly new," Kintarou continued. "It must have been a difficult journey back to Fire Country."

"Yeah…" Takeo replied coolly, running a finger along the off-colored line of skin. "It was…"

Kintarou cleared his throat. "I'm sure we can have it looked at. Once this business with Tsunade-sama is taken care of, any of the medical specialists should be able to heal—"

"It's fine," Takeo stopped him. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

"I see," Kintarou said with dissatisfaction. "Sorry. I guess you still aren't ready to talk about things yet."

Again shrouded in silence, the pair continued up the street.

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"I never knew he talked in his sleep," Riku smirked. "Something else you can tease him about when he wakes up, Hiroko."

The brown-haired girl looked up from her seat beside the bed. "Hmph. The only thing I'm going to do when he wakes up his pound him unconscious again for being so reckless."

"Oi, Hiroko," Hideo sighed.

The ANBU in the dove mask standing beside him held her laughter. "I don't envy your position, Hideo-san. You'll have your hands full when he wakes up."

"That would put everything back to normal, then," he sighed again. "Considering the alternatives, though…I'm actually looking forward to their squabbling."

The kunoichi nodded. "An arguing team is better than a broken team. Be thankful you and your team came back alive."

Hideo nodded. Clustered inside the tiny hospital room, he, Hiroko, Riku, and the ANBU that had escorted them to the hospital patiently observed Shinji. After he had been taken away for treatment, a nurse had reeled him and his bed into the room, telling everyone that he would be fine in a day or two. With the good news in hand, the group had finally relaxed and settled down. Unfortunately, whatever medication they had given the boy to help him sleep and heal had also apparently woken some part of his brain. Shinji had been mumbling nonsensical words in his sleep for the past few minutes.

Looking out the window, the ANBU kunoichi noticed the haze rolling in over the village. Sunrise was only a few hours away. Informing Hideo of her duty, the girl excused herself and moved to the door. She was surprised to see it slide open before her hand touched the handle. Standing in the hall on the other side, a gray-haired man smiled briefly at her. The ebony-colored hair of the woman beside him bounced around her neck as she slipped past them both into the room.

"Keigo-san," the ANBU addressed him, bowing slightly.

"Morning," he replied. "How is he?"

"Fine," she answered. "He should be healed and ready to return to duty in a day or two."

"That's good. Toshiji will be glad to hear that when he gets back," Keigo responded, moving inside the room. "So will Hakumi."

"I'm sure," the kunoichi nodded. "I need to get back to my patrol, but I'll stop by after I'm finished."

"Out of your uniform, I hope," Keigo smiled.

"Of course."

"I'll tell Hakumi you'll be by shortly then, Kaori," he whispered.

"Thanks," she softly replied, turning back towards the door. "Will you still hold another ceremony tonight? With Shinji in here I mean…"

"Ah…we haven't really talked about it, yet. We were more concerned with Shinji at the moment. We'll talk about it later, after—"

"Z-Zuboshi-san?"

Both Keigo and Kaori turned at the nervous voice emanating from the seat beside Shinji's bed. Hiroko was anxiously staring at the man.

"Ah, Hiroko," Hideo started. "I see you remember Shinji's friends."

Both Genin kept their eyes locked onto Keigo, who chuckled as he moved beside his wife.

"I assume that's a yes," Kaori commented as she turned to leave.

"…Z-Zuboshi-san…" Hiroko stumbled. "Have you seen him?"

"Hm? Seen whom?" Keigo asked as he made himself comfortable in a nearby folding chair.

"The guy who saved us," she tried to clarify. "Takeo…"

A loud clang echoed in the room as Hakumi turned, dropping the plastic vase she had been filling with water onto the floor. Sitting rigidly in his chair, Keigo simply stared. Halfway out in the hall, Kaori froze. Her hands shaking slightly, Hakumi slid down onto the end of the bed. Kaori spun and hesitantly moved back into the room, her own hands trembling. Taking a long, deep breath, Keigo looked at the two Genin.

"I'm sure Shinji has told you…our son, Takeo, died on a mission two years ago," Keigo said, trying to stay poised. "The shinobi who helped you either shares his name, or you two heard wrong."

A few awkward seconds later, Hiroko stood and focused on the floor at Keigo's feet.

"…I'm sorry," Hiroko nodded apologetically. "I didn't really think about that. I guess it's just the way Shinji talked about him all the time. The way he helped us and…I'm sorry I brought it up…"

"It's okay," Keigo assured her.

Riku shook his head. "You don't have to apologize, Hiroko. We only heard the ANBU who escorted us home call him Takeo. If anyone made the mistake, it was that--"

Kaori quickly moved closer. "What ANBU?"

"The really big guy with the bear mask," Riku answered. "He took that guy to see the Hokage before we came here."

"Bear mask?" Kaori repeated. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Hiroko confirmed. "Why?"

Kaori's thoughts began racing frantically. Keigo and Hakumi both lifted their heads, eyeing each other with disturbed expressions and eyeing the ANBU kunoichi in front of them. Before either one could say anything, Kaori was running past them, her body sprinting forward and leaping through the second story window to the ground below. Keigo jumped to his feet and followed the kunoichi with his eyes as she raced through the streets.

"What was that about?" Hideo asked, finally joining the conversation.

"I…I don't even want to think about it," Keigo responded as he leaned out on the windowsill.

Hakumi rose from the bed and touched his hand. "Why did she—"

"The ANBU with the bear mask," Keigo whispered before she could finish. "That's Kintarou…"

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"Kintarou."

The large ANBU turned. "Yes?"

"How long are you planning to wait?" Takeo crossly questioned. "I would rather go rent a room and leave this for later."

"I'm sure you would," Kintarou replied as he lifted his mask off of his head, setting it on Tsunade's desk. "But it would be better to get this whole ordeal over with as quickly as possible. Assuming Tsunade-sama doesn't execute you on the spot for technically being a missing nin."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Takeo frowned.

Kintarou smiled briefly. "Someone had to take over your role and provide Konoha with pointless sarcasm and lame attempts at humor."

"And you're the best they could find?"

"It is actually a lot easier than I expected," Kintarou chuckled.

Takeo smirked, shaking his head. "Hey, Kintarou."

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

Kintarou paused, a bewildered expression on his face. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"When you saw me back there," Takeo started. "I don't know. I saw you freeze up, like you just saw a ghost, which is what I would expect after everything. But after that, you didn't seem as freaked out about me being alive. Not that I expected you to run around crying and screaming or anything, but it just seemed too calm…I guess."

The small bit of light in Kintarou's eyes faded as he turned away. "I was screaming. And confused. And cursing myself, cursing you…on the inside anyway. I've spent two years in ANBU doing a lot of missions and leading teams into situations that require you to turn off your emotions. When I put that mask on, I no longer have the right to let my personal emotions control me."

"Right," Takeo nodded, picking the bear mask up. "But it's off now."

"Yes," Kintarou scowled. "I guess it is."

As soon as the words had slipped from his lips, Kintarou smashed a large gloved fist across Takeo's face. Knocked to the floor, Takeo crashed heavily into one of the large windows in the Hokage's office. He rubbed his cheek, wincing slightly at the bruise that would be there in a few hours.

"How could you possibly leave us all in the dark?" Kintarou roared. "Keigo-sama and Hakumi-san were distraught for months. Shinji-kun wanted nothing to do with the Academy and almost dropped out. Kaori-san would hardly speak to anyone for weeks after coming back. Do you have any idea how hard it was for the two of us to go through ANBU training and missions, believing that our positions came at the expense of your life? And now, almost two years to the day, you suddenly show up in Fire Country, alive and well. What exactly were you doing that was so important that you couldn't even write a letter saying you were alive?"

Breathing heavily, Kintarou lowered his head.

"Feel better?" Takeo distantly replied, pushing himself up.

"…Yes…" Kintarou softly answered as he moved to offer his hand. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be," Takeo replied, examining his jaw.

"Indeed," a woman's voice boomed behind them. "If anyone here deserves an apology, it's me."

Kintarou spun and immediately stood at attention. "Hokage-sama."

Takeo sighed and stood somewhat attentive beside him.

"Waking me up so damn early," Tsunade grumbled, hastily moving to her desk and falling unhappily into her chair. "This had better be important."

"Very important, Hokage-sama," Kintarou nodded.

"Kazumo Kintarou, right?" Tsunade asked, yawning wearily. "Why is your mask off?"

Kintarou nervously glanced around and quickly retrieved it from the floor where Takeo had fallen. He slid it back over his face and turned back to face Tsunade.

"Forgive my lapse, Hokage-sama," Kintarou apologized.

"Whatever," Tsunade said, waving it off as she began digging through the clutter on her desk. "Either of you seen that half-empty bottle of sake I had sitting here?"

"No, ma'am," Kintarou responded immediately.

Takeo shook his head.

"Fine," she sighed, slouching in her seat. "What is it that demanded my attention now that couldn't wait a few hours?"

"Ah, that would be him, Hokage-sama," Kintarou answered as he motioned towards Takeo.

Tsunade glanced over at him. "And you are?"

"Dead," Takeo calmly said.

"You look healthy enough to me," Tsunade replied, yawning again.

"What he means, Hokage-sama, is that he was declared dead two years ago," Kintarou explained. "On the mission to retrieve Atsukami Ren from the Earth Country."

Tsunade leaned forward, pressing her hands together as she propped her elbows against her desktop. Her brow furrowed as her dark amber eyes studied the man standing before her. With a subtle flicker of understanding, her eyes widened.

"Zuboshi Takeo?" she asked, resting her chin on her clasped hands.

Takeo nodded.

"And you have proof of this?" Tsunade continued.

"I have spoken with him at length, Hokage-sama," Kintarou revealed. "You may remember that we were teammates during that mission as well as before. I believe it is him."

Tsunade started to say something, but thought better of it, standing and moving around to the front of her desk.

"Are you going to say something?" she asked Takeo.

"What am I supposed to say?" he responded.

Tsunade rubbed her temples. "It's too early to play these games and I'm not nearly as agreeable when I'm irritated and out of sake."

"I suggested we should've waited until morning," Takeo offered.

"But you didn't, and unfortunately that means I have to deal with this right now," Tsunade sighed angrily. "I don't want to get into all of the details right now. We can speak at length about it later. Assuming you really are Zuboshi Takeo, I need to know where you've been and why you failed to return to Konoha."

Takeo glanced at Kintarou before responding. "I was doing my duty."

Kintarou tried to remain motionless and attentive while swearing under his breath. Tsunade stared at Takeo for a few seconds.

"I don't suppose you'd like to clarify that?" she frowned.

"Not really," Takeo answered, avoiding the woman's deathly gaze.

"Why me?" Tsunade mumbled before sitting slightly on the edge of her desk. "You will have to explain your actions to me soon. Once we've verified that you are who you say you are, I promise you that if either the Council or myself have any doubts of your loyalty or truthfulness, you'll probably wish you had died."

Takeo met eyes with the woman and opened his mouth to respond. He stopped the moment he heard the sound of the doors bursting open. Tsunade's gaze shifted slightly behind him. Takeo didn't bother to turn around as he heard the voices.

"What's going…oh…" Kintarou started before losing his voice at the sight of the dove mask hiding the face of the kunoichi panting beside the opened doors.

Tsunade calmly addressed her. "I take it you also need something."

Kaori timidly stepped forward, inching past Kintarou. Her eyes were fixed upon the brown-haired man standing with his back towards her. His head was down and he hadn't turned around.

"Kintarou," she said forcibly, trying to hold her hands steady. "Is it true?"

Lifting his mask, Kintarou placed both hands on her slender shoulders and met her eyes. "Kaori-san…it may be best if you—"

"It's okay Kintarou," Takeo said quietly, slowly turning around. "She'd find out eventually."

Kintarou stepped aside, allowing her to see. Kaori's body again moved without thinking. She threw the mask off over her face and ran ahead, nearly stumbling before wrapping her arms around the somewhat apathetic form of her friend. The tears that began falling were quickly absorbed into Takeo's jacket as she buried the side of her face into his shoulder. Keeping his own eyes from wandering to hers, Takeo looked up towards Kintarou. And then he was compelled to look beyond the large ANBU. In the doorway behind him, frozen in shock, was his father. Pale and on the verge of fainting, his mother was clutching his arm to hold herself up.

"T-Takeo…" Keigo managed to spit out.

Shutting his eyes, Takeo lifted himself free of Kaori's embrace. The kunoichi immediately spun, but noticing Keigo and Hakumi in the doorway, forced herself to stay where she was. Somberly, Takeo marched toward his parents. His eyes locked to the carpeted floor, Takeo kept his head down as he reached out and touched Hakumi's hand. The woman shuddered, throwing herself at the boy and squeezing him tightly. Keigo looked over at Kintarou and Kaori and Tsunade before joining his wife in hugging their son. Amidst the muffled sobs of his mother and the quiet joy of his father, Takeo felt that ache again tearing at his heart.

"You're alive…" Keigo muttered chokingly. "You're really alive."

"…Y-You're home…" Hakumi wept.

Takeo relented, letting a single tear escape from his clenched eyelids. "Yeah…I'm home…"


	18. Chapter 18: Answers

**A/N: Apologies for the lateness to any who were waiting...just finished finals last week. Plus, I rewrote a good portion of the chapter - originally had a narrative in the present tense...basically a long story told by one character...but I decided to write the part as a flashback (I didn't want a lot of these in the story, but it's easier for me to describe what's happening rather than telling - if that makes sense). Anyway, I hope it doesn't feel like it interupted the flow of the chapter...Enjoy. R & R.**

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**CHAPTER 18**

**"ANSWERS"**

The soft light of the morning sun filtered into the cozy hospital room from between the half-open pale green curtains adorning the large window. The golden rays slowly crept along the cool linoleum floor, climbing up the bodies of the two sitting there, struggling to stay awake, until the warm sunlight caressed their faces. Positioned with their backs against one another, Hiroko and Riku had spent the last few hours taking turns keeping the other awake as they kept vigil. After the ANBU kunoichi had suddenly leapt away through the window, the other adults in the room had decided they too had to leave. Riku's eyes wandered over to the snoring blonde atop the sole bed in the room. Shinji had been relatively quiet after the temporary fit of rambling in his sleep. The boy's carefree expression had returned not too long ago as well, the tension and strain his sleeping form had exhibited thankfully disappearing. The injured Genin was now sprawled all over his bed, a leg dangling off of one side while his good arm clutched his pillow tightly against his chest. A small puddle of drool pooled near Shinji's chin, adhering a loose strip of bandaging to the corner of his mouth. Riku couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Hiroko yawned, shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

"Nothing," Riku replied, calmly pushing himself to his feet.

Losing her backrest, Hiroko managed to catch herself before she fell, giving her teammate an evil glare as she lifted herself up to a standing position beside him. The two moved over next to the window, watching the remnants of the early morning haze burn off. Hiroko pulled the curtains completely open, illuminating the rest of the room. The sudden increase in brightness disturbed Shinji, who responded by rolling over away from the light shining in his face. Unfortunately, the tiny hospital bed wasn't nearly as wide as the one he usually slept in. The loud thud of the boy's body hitting the floor drew annoyed glances from his two teammates, both of whom could only stare. Shinji's eyes popped open, darting about as he tried to collect himself. Suddenly, he sprang to his feet.

"W-Where's he at?" he shouted, quickly losing his balance and stumbling forward.

Hiroko was at his side in a flash. "Calm down, Shinji."

The boy tried to steady himself, soon realizing where he was, or rather where he wasn't. Feeling slightly dizzy, Shinji bent over, clutching Hiroko's steadying arm in one hand while balancing the other against the end of the bed.

"Fight's over," Riku said calmly as he walked in front of him. "That Cloud ninja got you pretty good, though. We're in the hospital back in Konoha."

Shinji eyed his teammates for a moment, trying to process everything. "What about Hideo-sensei?" Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Hiroko assured him. "Or at least he will be. He was in better shape than you, anyway."

"That's good," Shinji sighed, gingerly lowering himself to the bed. "At least we all…wait, what happened to that missing nin? How'd we escape?"

Riku began to answer, but a swift elbow from Hiroko cut him off. The two hesitantly looked away.

"Guys?" Shinji asked impatiently.

"Another shinobi was in the area and defeated him," Riku finally revealed.

"Another…is he from Konoha, too?"

"Uh…we think so," Hiroko stuttered. "I mean that's the impression we got from the ANBU."

"There were ANBU?" Shinji exclaimed. "Geez, I missed everything."

The three Genin shared a smile. Riku and Hiroko again eyed one another.

"Yeah…that other shinobi…" Hiroko started, plopping down onto the bed beside Shinji.

"Hm? What about him?" Shinji inquired.

"He's…he…um, he went to see the Hokage along with one of the ANBU that escorted us home," Hiroko tentatively answered, feigning a grin. "You should probably find him…to say thank you."

Shinji turned and studied her anxious expression.

"Yeah…when I'm cleared to leave I'll try to make—"

"The shinobi's name is Takeo," Riku interrupted, crossing his arms, as he looked Shinji in the eye.

The renewed color and strength that had rejuvenated the young Genin disappeared almost immediately.

"W-What!"

Riku sighed. "Takeo…the shinobi who saved us was named Takeo."

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A satisfied sigh escaped from the blonde woman's mouth as she pulled the large blue bottle from her lips. It had taken a while, but she had finally found that sake she'd misplaced. Eyeing the scene before her, the Godaime Hokage slammed the bottle down hard against the surface of her desk. Takeo and those surrounding him didn't even flinch. Tapping her nails impatiently along the cover of one the many medical books lying on her desk, Tsunade blew a few wisps of hair from her eyes.

"Ahem!"

Clearing her throat in an attempt to draw the others' attention, she tilted back in the comfy chair behind her desk, watching them pause and turn towards her. Keigo and Hakumi hesitantly moved behind their son, with Kintarou and Kaori quickly standing beside them at attention, adjusting the ANBU masks atop their heads. The group had been collectively bombarding Takeo with welcoming hugs, joyful tears and angry bops on the head since well before sunrise. Now that daylight was upon them, the amber-eyed Hokage decided to finally barge in.

"As much as I hate to interrupt this reunion, there are some things we still need to clear up, Takeo," she sighed, digging through a stack of folders and scrolls.

Tossing several piles of papers and reports to the floor, she eventually snatched up whatever file she had been looking for. Glancing briefly at the pieces of parchment inside it, Tsunade tossed the fairly thin folder onto her desk. Turning her eyes on Takeo, she motioned for him to take it.

"That's the report from the mission to Earth Country to escort Atsukami Ren," Tsunade informed him as the young man flipped the file open. "As you can see, it's rather light for an A-rank mission."

Takeo's eyes were too busy scanning the contents to reply.

"You're reading the reports filed by your two teammates on that assignment, as well as a statement by Ren," Tsunade continued. "If I remember correctly, your team concluded you died in action after Kintarou found what was supposed to be your body at the bottom of a canyon."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kintarou nodded. "Ren-san reported he had observed Takeo fall over into the canyon, and when I ventured down, I found his forehead protector strapped around his…er, someone's body."

"Right," Tsunade went on, muffling a yawn. "We sent an ANBU recovery squad to fetch your body back, but they returned empty-handed."

Takeo forced his eyes up from the report about his death and watched the woman as she stepped forward, moving close enough that Takeo could see the creases in her brow form as she stared fiercely back at him.

"I don't remember all of the details, but I believe we held off officially declaring you as killed in action for a month," Tsunade said sternly. "Seeing as you appear healthy enough at the moment, I think I deserve an explanation as to where you've been, and why you chose not to return home if you were alive and well."

Takeo closed his eyes momentarily, handing the mission report over to Kintarou. "I was doing my job."

"We went through this already," Tsunade responded, folding her arms. "I need you be more specific. These past few years have taken a toll on everyone's nerves, especially the Council's. With so many missing nins turning up and allying themselves with our enemies, any hint of disloyalty is generally met with severe punishment. If you want to return to any kind of normal shinobi life, I have to know where you've been, and what you've been doing."

"Takeo," his father spoke up. "Please, just tell her what she needs to know. We can sort all of the details out later. Just the five of us. I've sat through a lot of treason hearings…believe me you don't want to go through that."

"Keigo-sama is right," Kintarou added. "And I think we would all appreciate some kind of answer."

Kaori nodded. "Please tell us something, Takeo-kun. We were all so worried…you know that, right?"

"I'm sorry," Takeo scowled, looking away. "But as I said, I was doing my duty as a Konoha shinobi…finishing the mission I was assigned."

Tsunade clenched a fist, but held her arm back as she circled around her desk to gaze out the tall windows behind it.

"Takeo," his mother said as she placed a hand around his arm. "You have to give us something more than that…even a little bit. You just came back home…I don't want them to punish you and take you away again."

Biting his lip, Takeo's face softened, and he finally conceded. "What more do you want?"

"I need to hear all of it," Tsunade replied without glancing back. "But I think the Council and I would be satisfied for the moment to at least hear what happened during the mission and why you're not dead as reported."

Takeo sighed as Tsunade spun around to face him again.

"What happened out there on that plateau with Ren? Why didn't you return with your teammates if you were well?" she questioned.

"It happened like Ren-san said in that report," Takeo answered. "He and I ran into some Stone shinobi atop the plateau. Two others arrived, and while they fought, Ren-san and I tried to free his two girls. When the battle between the Stone and the other shinobi moved towards us, I summoned a hawk to take us to safety. Obviously only Ren-san and Jana made it safely."

"The second girl died then?" Tsunade asked.

"…Yeah…" Takeo said through clenched teeth. "Nanami didn't survive the fall."

"And what about you?" Tsunade frowned. "How did you survive then?"

"Luck," Takeo replied coolly.

"Luck?" Tsunade paused. "What exactly does that mean?"

"What it sounds like," Takeo responded. "It could have easily been me down in the bottom of that canyon with a bunch of rocks piled on top of me."

At those words, Hakumi shuddered, drawing closer to her husband. Kaori and Kintarou both looked at the ground.

Tsunade irritatingly rubbed her eyes. "Since it looks my questions aren't thorough enough to get a straight answer out of you, I want you to describe everything that happened from the moment you and Ren encountered those other shinobi…and then fill out your report accordingly."

Takeo grimaced as the woman slammed a blank mission report form on her desk in front of him.

"And if you don't, I'm going to throw you out the window into that pile of boulders outside."

Takeo relented. Focusing solely on the carpeted floor at his feet, his eyes dimmed a bit as he started to recount the events for her.

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"_Ren-san," Takeo said quickly. "We should go…now."_

"_But what about my girls?" he immediately asked._

"_We'll grab them and run," Takeo replied, grabbing hold of Ren's arm and dragging the man with him._

_Within seconds, the two had made it over to the tied up young women. Taking a kunai from his pouch, Takeo quickly cut the cord binding the older girl's hands and feet. He moved to release the other one, but froze. He spun around as a Stone shinobi's agonizing scream filled the air, echoing loudly as his body tumbled over the edge of the plateau. Takeo lifted his bow from over his shoulder, leaning it against the side of the nearby tent, and tossed his kunai to Ren._

"_Get the other one," Takeo said quickly, rummaging his free hand through his pouch._

Ren shakily grabbed the blade. "R-Right…" 

_Withdrawing his hand, Takeo held the ornately decorated knife again. He wiped the bloodstains from his left index finger before slicing through the tip with the blade of the fancy dagger. He smeared a line of the crimson liquid across the blade, covering the symbols again with his blood. He hastily thrust the dagger into the ground and looked up. Standing along the ledge where the Stone ninja had been tossed, two black-robed figures stood calmly staring back in his direction, ignoring the other two Stone shinobi angrily preparing to attack. Suddenly, the two figures rushed towards him. Takeo rapidly finished his hand seals and thrust his left palm into the ground._

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_

_The black scrawls of the summoning seal spread outward along the dirt._

"_Ren-san!" Takeo shouted as a giant puff of smoke burst forth from the ground. "Grab hold of her and hang on! I'll free the other one and—"_

_A loud screech drowned out his final few words as a large winged shadow appeared within the smoky cloud. Takeo caught a glimpse of rust-colored feathers before the hawk began hovering upwards._

"_Sabi!" he shouted. "There's an old man and a girl nearby. Grab them and then try to swing back for me!"_

_Takeo waved the bird away, turning slightly at the faint sound of Ren's voice. A cold shiver suddenly overcame him as two figures blurred past. Takeo swiveled around in time to see the two cloaked shinobi make a grab for the younger girl. He quickly retrieved his summoning dagger from the ground and slid it back into his pouch just as his eyes caught the strangest and possibly most frightening thing he'd ever seen. Before he could react, however, a loud, thunderous explosion rocked the ground beneath him. A few feet away, where those two black-robed figures had stood, an enormous chasm had split the earth. Takeo felt the ground beneath him trembling and cracking, hearing the sounds of falling rock and debris from within the giant crack in the plateau's surface. Hurriedly glancing about, he spotted the blue-haired girl atop the shoulder of one of the unknown shinobi. With every ounce of energy he had left, Takeo dashed forward, leaping through the air towards the unconscious and now captive female. The commotion all about the peak of the plateau was enough of a distraction for Takeo to snatch the girl back. Carrying her over his shoulder, Takeo sprinted back towards Ren's location, trying to keep his balance as the dirt and rock beneath him began caving in._

"…_Takeo-san!"_

_He heard Ren's voice but the demolishing of the plateau had stirred up enough dust and debris to cover the entire area. Takeo could barely make out the outline of the old man in the distance. Not wanting to give those other ninja a chance to grab her again, Takeo darted off. Moving the girl back around to his back, Takeo hooked his arms beneath her legs and hastily started hopping across the few stable bits of ground remaining. He jumped to the left, landing deftly on a narrow strip of rock. He leapt back as that fragment gave way. Then the one beneath him crumbled. Losing his balance, Takeo could only hold onto the girl as he felt himself tumble backwards. He heard Sabi's barely audible cry as the bird zoomed past him, just a few feet out of reach. Noticing the pair of passengers on its back, Takeo felt somewhat relieved that at least those two were safe. Whirling about, so that he was face down as he and his precious cargo fell amidst the rubble, Takeo frantically started scanning around. Seeing a large chunk of rock to his right, he freed one of his hands from holding the girl and shifted around so he could reach the quiver on his back. Flipping the cover open, Takeo fumbled through the few arrows left until quickly withdrawing one. As the other few arrows fell from the pouch and bounced around the clutter of falling debris, Takeo clutched the one in his hand, focusing the chakra he had left as he tightened his grip on the kid on his back._

"_Namariya. (Lead Arrow)"_

_Infused with chakra, the shaft and head of the arrow hardened and grew heavy. Drawing his arm back, Takeo said a silent prayer as he thrust the dense object into the surface of the large hunk of stone. The overly strong arrow plunged into the flat surface of the plateau fragment, anchoring Takeo and the girl to the large rock as it toppled down toward the canyon below. Clutching the arrow in one hand while desperately trying to maintain a firm hold on the young woman with the other, Takeo narrowly avoided being smashed between the other bits of the plateau. Through his squinted eyes, he could see the ground rapidly approaching. As the rock fragment they were attached to spun upright, he prepared to launch himself off of the stone and take his chances landing somewhat safely on the other side of the narrow canyon. As his leg muscles tensed, a sudden jerk forced him back and nearly made him lose his grip on the arrow holding him in place. Takeo glanced back._

"…_Help…"_

_The first Stone shinobi, bloodied and nursing a lame leg, was frantically clinging to the loose sash wrapped around the young girl's waist. The fabric quickly began tearing, forcing the young Stone nin to claw upwards. Spinning around, Takeo kicked at the boy, who, in a last-ditch effort to save himself, grabbed onto the leather strap of Takeo's quiver. Takeo felt himself being pulled down, the added weight combining with his diminishing chakra reserves to weaken the strength of the arrow's shaft. The jutsu-enhanced arrow began to bend. Realizing his position, Takeo hurriedly pinned the girl against the rock with his backside as he grabbed hold of his quiver strap, too. With a final burst of strength, he managed to lift the leather strap over his head and toss it down around the shoulders of the Stone shinobi as he kicked him away again. Quickly securing the girl in his arm again, Takeo turned and watched regrettably as the young ninja struggled to loosen his tangled arms from the strap, only to stop after his head collided with a jagged piece of rock. His unconscious body became clustered within the rest of the falling debris._

_Putting it out of his mind, Takeo tightened his grip on his passenger, preparing to leap away. The narrow gorge beneath them was drawing closer, as was the land on the other side. With a quick prayer, he let go of the arrow anchoring them to the plateau fragment and bounced up off of it. Ducking out of the path of an oncoming chunk of stone, Takeo adjusted himself and leapt off another slab or rock towards the opposite side of the canyon. He found one more intermediate stone to ricochet off of, and put every last bit of strength into a last desperate jump. He emerged from the mass of falling plateau remains, holding tightly to the girl. His foot unexpectedly hit solid ground and the two tumbled forward, Takeo cradling the girl in his arms as they rolled through the rough and sandy plain on the other side. When they came to a stop, Takeo looked the girl over briefly, studying her closely before exhaustion overcame him. Then all he could see was black…_

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"And after that?" Tsunade inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Takeo answered slowly. "I was hurt, got treatment, and then started back for home."

"Took you two years to fully recover, then?" Tsunade frowned disbelievingly.

Takeo didn't answer, a sudden bout of weariness overcoming him. He wobbled slightly, taking a step or two forward to catch himself from falling.

"Are you okay?" Kaori worried as she moved closer. "Hokage-sama, maybe we should let him rest…he's been moving since last night and fought off a Jounin-level missing nin while helping Hideo-san and his team."

"Yes," Keigo echoed. "He reported the details of the mission to you as you asked, Tsunade-sama. At least give him a day or two to recuperate before you start to grill him with questions again."

Gathering the report form Takeo had filled out, Tsunade sighed. "Very well. You are free to leave, Takeo. However, I want to see you back in my office tomorrow morning to finish filling in the details of your absence. Understood?"

Collecting himself, Takeo nodded. "Fine. I'll be here."

"Good. And just so we're clear, you're not to leave the village until you are officially reinstated and confirmed loyal to Konoha," she added.

"That all?" he said with a battered sigh.

"Yes," Tsunade glared. "Just sign off on this report and you can go."

Takeo bent over, grabbing the pen and signing his name to the report.

"Are you sure there's nothing more you want to add?" Tsunade whispered to him privately as she stood and stepped beside him.

"Like what?" he mumbled.

"Akatsuki," she quietly replied.

The hand clasped around the pen tightened suddenly, snapping the quill. Tsunade took notice and studied the young man's face.

"Sorry," Takeo muttered, regaining himself. "But that's pretty much everything."

He stood up and began to walk away, leaving the blonde-haired Hokage without another word.

"Yo, Noppo," Kintarou started. "If you don't mind waiting around, I can change out of my gear and…"

Takeo passed the large ANBU without any sign of acknowledgment.

"Takeo-kun?"

"I'm heading home," Takeo said. "It'll be quicker if I go alone, and I really need some rest."

He walked past his parents and Kaori, turning once outside in the hallway and pausing.

"I'll see you guys later," he said without looking back in. "And…I'm sorry I worried you…"

Before they could respond, Takeo disappeared down the hall.


	19. Chapter 19: Chance Encounters

**A/N: Next chapter should be up shortly after this one...once it's up, I plan to start/finish a NaruSaku oneshot for a friend as well as layout the basic outlines for last part of this fic (few more fights to plan out). As always enjoy, and please feel free to leave me some feedback...**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

**CHAPTER 19**

**"CHANCE ENCOUNTERS"**

"We should go after him," Kaori urgently said. "Something's obviously wrong…Takeo-kun isn't himself."

"No," Keigo responded, shaking his head. "Just let him be for awhile, Kaori."

"But…" Kaori started to counter.

"Don't worry," Hakumi comforted. "Takeo's home now. There will be time for all of us to help fix whatever's bothering him. The Takeo we know will be back before you know it."

Kaori nodded, nervously chewing her lip. Kintarou pressed a hand on her shoulder and grinned as she lifted her head towards him.

"Things will be back to normal," he assured her. "He just needs some time to sort things out, that's all. I am sure that is all there is to it."

"Yeah," she nodded. "You're probably right."

"If you four are finished, perhaps Keigo, you and your wife should head home," Tsunade advised. "I'd think you'd want to keep a close eye on your son for a good while."

"Of course," Keigo nodded.

"And you two," Tsunade continued, addressing Kintarou and Kaori. "I expect your squads would appreciate your return."

"Right," Kintarou bowed, lowering his ANBU mask. "My apologies again for disturbing you so early, Hokage-sama."

Kaori lowered her mask as well. Both ANBU bid farewell to Keigo and Hakumi, who were smiling warmly as they waved goodbye. Turning to leave, the couple approached the open doorway and unexpectedly met with a yellow blur barreling past them into the room.

"W-Where is he?" Shinji shouted. "He's here…I mean, it's true right?"

Without giving the others any time to respond, Shinji stormed straight up to Kintarou.

"You," he pointed excitedly. "You brought him here right? Takeo nii-san? He's alive right?"

As the boy continued to ramble, a winded Hiroko and Riku dashed into the room behind him.

"We told you to wait up!" Hiroko angrily admonished, smacking her overly excited teammate across the back of his head. "You can't just barge into the Hokage's office."

"My thoughts exactly," Tsunade loudly agreed, silencing the Genin who had caused all of the commotion. "I should have known today was one of those days…you, what are you doing screaming and shouting nonsense in my office?"

Shinji paused, suddenly aware of how dangerous the Hokage could look when those amber eyes were staring at you. Riku clapped a hand over his mouth before he could reply.

"I apologize for my teammate, Hokage-sama," Riku bowed. "Shinji was badly injured on our mission, and I'm sure the medicine is affecting his behavior. He's just eager to see if his friend is here and okay."

Tsunade sighed as she slumped in her chair. "If this friend is Zuboshi Takeo, then yes, he was here and very much alive."

Shinji's eyes widened at her answer and he moved quickly to approach her. A pair of strong hands immediately latched onto his shoulders to stop him.

"That's enough, Shinji," Keigo said sternly. "You're supposed to be recuperating in the hospital, not bothering Tsunade-sama."

The blonde Genin's head spun around, his blue orbs meeting the intimidating green eyes of the former ANBU squad commander. "But Keigo-san…I had to see if it was true. Takeo nii-san is back, isn't he? He really is the one who saved me?"

"Yes," Keigo nodded. "Takeo is back home. But he left for our house to get some much-needed rest. And before you ask, no you can't go and see him now. Right now, you need to return to your hospital bed and finish healing your injuries."

"I'm fine," Shinji replied.

"No, you're not," Hiroko frowned, poking the boy in his midsection.

Shinji grimaced and doubled over in pain, clutching the bandaging around his sides.

"See?"

"Yeah…okay…" Shinji sighed.

"Good," Keigo nodded. "And just to make sure you arrive in good condition, Hakumi and I will accompany you back."

"We can handle it, Zuboshi-san," Riku said.

"I'm sure you can," Hakumi interjected. "But Keigo and I would feel better seeing him there personally."

"Of course," Riku nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Hakumi smiled. "It's nice to see Shinji-kun has teammates that really care about him."

Riku and Hiroko blushed slightly as Hakumi continued smiling. Keigo wrapped an arm around Shinji and began leading him and the others away.

"We're really off this time," Keigo said, nodding towards Tsunade. "I'll make sure Takeo is here bright and early tomorrow morning, Tsunade-sama."

"Not too early," she sighed.

"Of course not," Keigo replied, turning towards the ANBU. "And thanks for your help as well."

Kintarou and Kaori nodded, focusing their masked faces on the group heading out of the office.

"Have you told Kintarou-san or Kaori nee-san yet?" Shinji asked as the five of them exited.

"No…not quite," Keigo responded without a hitch.

Once Shinji and his team were far enough down the hallway, Tsunade stood and addressed the shinobi left in her office.

"Now then," she started. "I believe you two were heading back to your squad commanders. Don't worry, I'll inform them about the reasons for your absence when we discuss the guard patrols for your friend."

"Guard patrols?" Kaori questioned.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded, recognizing the young woman's confusion. "It's standard practice to have ANBU watch over any potentially dangerous visitors."

"I think we're both well aware of that," Kintarou replied. "But with all due respect, Hokage-sama, Takeo isn't a foreigner. He's a Konoha shinobi."

"Who has been missing for two years," Tsunade added. "Like it or not, he must be observed until this whole mess is cleared up."

"Then I volunteer to watch him," Kaori quickly responded.

"As do I," Kintarou echoed.

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm afraid that would be a conflict of interests. You two are friends of his. Not that I doubt your loyalty…it just wouldn't be appropriate. I'm sorry."

"But—"

"No, Kaori-san," Kintarou interrupted. "She's right. We understand, Hokage-sama."

"I'm glad," the blonde woman smiled. "As ANBU, you're more than aware of your responsibilities to the entire village, not just those that you care for. When you wear that mask and uniform, you're obligated to put the safety and well-being of Konoha first."

"Of course," Kintarou nodded, recalling the same speech he'd just given to Takeo.

"Once you take them off, however," Tsunade continued, "you're free to do as you please. Of course, I suppose there wouldn't be any objections if you chose to watch over him while off duty."

Kaori and Kintarou glanced at one another.

"Right," Kaori nodded, her voice sounding more cheerful. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Hm? For what?" Tsunade smirked. "Now if there's nothing else, you two are dismissed."

A faint puff of smoke accompanied the stout ANBU that appeared in between her and Kaori and Kintarou.

"Hokage-sama," He bowed.

"Now what?" she mumbled, massaging her temples.

"My apologies if I am interrupting," he continued.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, picking up the nearly empty bottle of sake and swirling the liquid inside around.

"The other members of Bear's team have returned," the ANBU said. "They are currently on their way to an interrogation cell with a captured missing nin from Cloud."

"I see," Tsunade responded, taking a small sip from the blue jug. "Have Ibiki talk with him before you escort him to a prison cell."

"Understood," the ANBU bowed, disappearing as suddenly as he'd arrived.

"Uh, Hokage-sama," Kintarou said hesitantly. "I request permission to observe the missing nin's interrogation."

Tsunade and Kaori both looked at him with confusion.

"Why?" Tsunade asked.

"That shinobi is the same one that Takeo defeated to rescue that Genin team," Kintarou revealed. "I thought that perhaps he might know something about Takeo's behavior."

"Why would he know anything?" Kaori inquired.

Kintarou hesitated again. "On the way back to Konoha, one of the other members of my cell informed me that, based upon the statements given by Shinji-kun's teammates, that Cloud nin knew Takeo in some capacity."

Tsunade sighed. Kaori just stared.

"I apologize for not saying anything about it sooner," Kintarou continued. "I was caught up in personal matters and forgot about my duty."

"It's fine," Tsunade assured him. "And at least you remembered to tell me before Ibiki was finished."

Standing up, Tsunade set aside some files and gathered her things.

"Permission to observe the interrogation is granted," Tsunade said as she began walking out. "I would also like to hear what he has to say concerning our recently returned shinobi."

"Thank you Hokage-sama," Kintarou bowed. "Kaori-san?"

"I-I'll pass," she replied. "I need to get back and file my patrol report, and I need to swing by Ren's and pick up some supplies before my mission tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay," Kintarou said, setting both hands on her shoulders. "Be careful what you say to Ren-san, though. I'm not sure how exactly he'll take the news."

"Right," Kaori solemnly nodded. "I guess it could be difficult to explain why Takeo-kun is alive and back home but his other daughter isn't."

"Yeah," Kintarou nodded.

"Coming?" Tsunade asked from the hallway.

"Yes," Kintarou hurriedly answered. "I'll see you this afternoon, Kaori-san."

"Oh…right," Kaori nodded. "I almost forgot…about…that…"

"Yeah," Kintarou responded, smiling beneath his mask. "It's understandable, though. It nearly slipped my mind as well. We can always just reschedule for another day…that is, if you still want to…"

"O-Of course," Kaori said slowly.

"Kintarou!"

"Sorry, Hokage-sama," Kintarou apologized as he dashed after her, waving farewell to Kaori as he left. "Tell Ren-san and Jana-san I said hello."

Kaori watched awkwardly as he disappeared, leaving her alone in the office. "Sure thing…"

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Takeo clasped his hands together behind his head and cradled it as he walked, gazing upwards. The sun was still brightly shining, despite the few clouds that dotted the early morning sky. Having burned the same image from two years ago into his memory, he quickly noticed how similar this morning was to that morning. That morning, he and his team had walked to the Hokage's to receive what would be their field examination for ANBU. He recalled how excited they all were as they traveled the short distance. Kintarou was so eager and formal with everything; Kaori seemed so anxious, yet still argued and teased them both like nothing was wrong. As for himself, Takeo remembered how energized he felt. That same sense of excitement and hope was all but gone now though, as he continued looking up into the sky.

"Ouch!"

Several loud clangs accompanied the sight of several small boxes falling to the street. Takeo stopped and quickly glanced down, meeting a pair of angry dark brown eyes.

"Watch where you're going!" the young woman screamed at him from her seat on the ground. "Look what you made me…man, all my stuff is probably ruined…"

"Déjà vu," Takeo muttered, thinking back.

"What did you say?" the girl squealed.

"Uh…nothing. I'm sorry," Takeo apologized, offering a hand.

"Hmph," she responded, swatting it away. "If you want to help, start by picking up the things you knocked out my hands."

Takeo frowned as he knelt down, gathering each of the five boxes that littered the ground. Once he had them all, he carefully stacked them and lifted them with both hands. He held his arms out so the girl could retrieve them, but she shook her head as she climbed to her feet.

"Follow me," the young woman ordered, flipping several platinum blonde strands out of her face.

"I never said I would—" Takeo started.

"Hey!" the girl stopped him, pointing a finger inches from his face. "You ran into me and knocked some very valuable items from my hands…the least you can do is carry them for me. That way if they're damaged, you'll be right here to pay for replacements."

"Seriously," Takeo said firmly. "I can't…I'm on my home."

"What kind of man are you?" she scowled. "If a lady needs a hand, aren't you supposed to help her?"

"I…" Takeo began to counter.

"My dad's shop is only a few blocks from here," she continued, flashing a smile.

Takeo shifted the heavy crates around to better balance them against the front of his jacket. "Fine."

"Good," the girl said happily. "Follow me."

Staring at the young woman for a moment, Takeo reluctantly began following behind her as she guided him along the streets of Konoha. A few passersby eyed the two them with curiosity, in large part because of the girl's loud humming. Takeo put the heartening tune out of his mind as he tried to focus on other things. Time would pass faster that way, and he could drop of the girl's packages and head home like he'd planned.

"So what about you?" the young woman asked suddenly.

"What about me?" Takeo questioned, moving his head around the stack of boxes so he could see.

"What do you do for a living?" she replied angrily, staring back into his eyes. "Geez, I've been trying to start a polite conversation, but you haven't said a thing. Are you even listening?"

Takeo eyed the girl for a moment. He hadn't really been paying attention.

"No, not really," Takeo answered honestly.

She glared back at him. "Figures…at least you were honest about it though. Unlike some boys I know…"

The girl smugly flipped her long hair away from her face as she spun back around.

"Okay…" Takeo sighed.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"Well what?" Takeo sighed.

"What do you do around here?" the blonde girl responded, nearly shouting.

"Nothing as of now," he told her stoically. "I've been out of town for awhile."

"Oh," she smiled, the rage in her voice vanishing. "Take a vacation?"

"Not really…"

"I wish I had time to take a vacation," she continued without regarding him. "But my dad is always going on about responsibility and valuing what we have here and our duty to Konoha…not to say he's wrong, because he isn't. We're both really grateful to be here. We owe our lives to the shinobi here, you know?"

"Yeah," Takeo half-heartedly nodded, readjusting the items in his hands.

"Yeah, come to think of it," the girl continued, "it's been nearly two years since…oh, we're here!"

The young woman suddenly came to a stop, nearly causing Takeo to bump into her again.

"See, that wasn't so bad," she said as she opened the door. "Oh, watch your step…there's a stack of planters by your feet."

Takeo carefully glanced downward, maneuvering his way around the planters and into the cozy corner shop. The door behind him creaked shut, quickly accompanied by a similar sound from a door somewhere in the back of the building.

"Well, this is it," the young woman said proudly. "My dad's shop…it sounds like he just came in from the garden, so if you don't mind waiting a bit, I'll have him look over our things to make sure they're okay."

"Actually, I'd rather get—"

"Jana, is that you?" a man's voice called from the back of the shop.

"Yes," the young woman responded.

"Jana?" Takeo hoarsely repeated.

"Oh, right," the girl chuckled. "I never introduced myself. I'm Atsukami Jana."

The boxes in Takeo's hands suddenly fell to the floor.

"Hey!" Jana exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

Appearing from a small doorway nearby, a bushy, silver-haired old man hurriedly approached his daughter.

"What's all the noise about?" Ren inquired, eyeing his daughter. "Is everything okay J—"

An uncomfortable silence filled the air of the small apothecary. Jana's eyes followed her father's awed gaze.

"Impossible…" he mumbled.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Is it…T-Takeo…san…"

Takeo held his breath as he finally spoke. "Been awhile…Ren-san…"

Jana turned suddenly, her chocolate brown eyes wide with astonishment.

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"Right this way."

Following the shorter ANBU guard, Kintarou and Tsunade stepped through the dark narrow hallway until they were stopped outside an old wooden door. Through the iron bars in the tiny window, Kintarou could see a man bending over near a face he recognized as belonging to the missing Cloud nin. Another ANBU standing guard turned and bowed towards Tsunade before addressing Kintarou.

"Captain."

Kintarou nodded to the ANBU kunoichi in the rabbit mask. "You two made it back rather quickly."

"Yes, sir," she nodded. "Cell eleven was returning from their reconnaissance mission to Grass Country. They helped us secure the kidnappers while Tiger and I escorted him here."

"Glad everything worked out," Kintarou responded. "Could you please turn in our report to the commander? I'll be observing his interrogation."

"Of course," she nodded. "I'll see you at the debriefing then."

In a flash, the ANBU woman was gone. Clearing her throat, Tsunade regained Kintarou's attention as she motioned at the ANBU escorting them. The man knocked twice against the doorframe, causing the shinobi dressed in black within the room to stand and tie a blindfold around the Cloud ninja's eyes. Once he had secured it, he motioned to the ANBU outside, who promptly opened the door. Tsunade entered first, nodding to Kintarou, who followed in behind her. The man in black spun and bowed slightly, revealing the numerous scars across his head and face.

"How is it coming?" Tsunade asked him

"We're getting along well now," Morino Ibiki replied. "What would you like to know?"

Tsunade eyed the Cloud nin, noting the cuts and bruising along his arms and face.

"I haven't touched him…yet," Ibiki whispered. "He says most of it was inflicted by a Kazashi Takeo."

"Kazashi Takeo?" Tsunade repeated.

"Yes," Ibiki nodded.

"What else has he said?" she inquired.

"Nothing else worth noting," Ibiki answered. "Is there something particular you'd like to ask?"

Kintarou nodded as Tsunade glanced at him, his hazel eyes meeting hers from behind his mask.

Within minutes, Ibiki had the Cloud nin bound tightly to the stiff, uncomfortable chair. Several senbon needles protruded from the large man's hands, arms and thighs. A thin trickle of blood suddenly dribbled down the corner of his mouth; his teeth had sunk into the soft vulnerable flesh of his own tongue. Ibiki quickly drew a kunai underneath the blindfold, close to the man's eyes.

"You can finish doing that if you wish," he said darkly. "But you'll lose your eyes…and I'm sure a blind and mute missing nin from Cloud will have no problems in a Fire Country prison."

The Cloud nin seethed, unclenching his teeth and spitting out several shots of blood and saliva.

"Good choice," Ibiki whispered, moving the kunai away. "Now…I can't imagine a missing nin from Lightning Country traveling all the way to our neck of the woods to simply mess with a bunch of weak thugs and a Genin squad. Would you care to tell me what you're doing here in Fire Country?"

The man hesitated. Ibiki wiggled a few of the needles on top of the man's hands so that their points dug in a little deeper.

"Why did you attack those bandits and team of Genin?" Ibiki asked. "Were they your targets?"

"No…" he mumbled. "Just happened upon them in the woods…looked like easy pickings…"

"So you weren't after them, then?" Ibiki nodded. "I see…how unfortunate then that you lost in a battle you started without provocation. So what were you doing in that part of our country?"

The burly man stayed silent.

"Did I forget to mention that these are poison-tipped?" Ibiki said calmly, waiting patiently for a few seconds.

"Trying to cash in on a bounty!" the man yelled.

"On whom?" Ibiki questioned.

"The shinobi who did this," he muttered. "Kazashi Takeo…"

Kintarou looked at the man with bewilderment. He hurriedly whispered into Tsunade's ear. The Hokage turned and eyed the large ANBU for a moment before stepping forward.

"We know of no one by that name. Who placed this bounty?" she asked menacingly.

"A woman interrogator?" the man sneered.

Ibiki chuckled. "The Godaime Hokage, to be more precise."

The Cloud nin went stiff. "I got the job from a man in Rice Field Country."

"Was he from the Sound?" Tsunade immediately followed.

"Yeah…he was wearing their symbol," the Cloud nin answered, grimacing slightly. "He didn't tell me his name, though…I swear. There were a bunch of other missing nins, too. All of us got the same job from that four-eyed Sound guy…"

"To kill this Kazashi Takeo?" Tsunade asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Y-Yeah," the Cloud nin nodded weakly, beginning to lose consciousness. "Him…and his sister…"


	20. Chapter 20: Shadows

**A/N: Apologies for the lateness. On the plus side, my vet school apps. are done, so the rest of the summer is stress-free. Anyway, enjoy...Read & Review**

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**CHAPTER 20**

**"SHADOWS"**

"Sister?" Tsunade repeated.

Kintarou straightened, impulsively moving forward until the Hokage held out her arm.

"Wait," Tsunade hissed.

"Hokage-sama," Kintarou whispered. "Takeo does not have any siblings, let alone a sister. He must be—"

"That's enough," she replied firmly.

Kintarou moved back slightly, bowing his head in apology as he looked attentively at the Cloud nin bound and blindfolded in the chair. The man's head was slowly bobbing up and down, the effects of Ibiki's senbon needles wearing down his body. Tsunade scowled as she and the others watched his head fall.

"Damn it," she grumbled, moving forward and wrapping a hand around the man's jaw to lift his head back up.

The tips of her fingers sparkled with a faint blue aura for several seconds. When the color disappeared, the Cloud nin slowly started moving his lips, mumbling incoherently.

"We're not through, yet," Tsunade said coldly. "I've increased the blood flow to your brain temporarily, which should keep you awake a little longer. Now, who is this girl you say is Kazashi Takeo's sister? Why are you after her? What did the Sound want with the two of them?"

The burly man opened his mouth, hesitating as his clouded mind tried to respond. Finally, after several seconds, a slurred reply escaped from his lips.

"I don…d-don't know…k-kid…was part of bounty…S-Sound tell us…not…say…anything…"

Despite several violent attempts to arouse him, the Cloud nin was completely out of it now. Tsunade frustratingly let the man's head fall forward again, allowing Ibiki to move in and remove the needles from his body.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama," Ibiki said as he worked. "I should have used a lighter dose."

"No, it's fine," she responded. "How long until the sedative wears off?"

"Sedative?" Kintarou asked.

"You don't think we'd actually risk poisoning a prisoner who has information," Tsunade replied, moving towards the door. "Using a sleeping drug with similar effects to a common shinobi toxin can be a surprisingly useful interrogation tool."

Kintarou nodded, frowning beneath his mask at his ignorance.

"Transport him to a prison cell," Tsunade told the guard at the doorway. "When he regains consciousness, I want to know everything about this bounty the Sound put out on this Kazashi Takeo and his sister."

"I'll deliver the information personally, Hokage-sama," Ibiki assured her.

"Good," she nodded, turning towards Kintarou. "We're finished here, then."

Outside in the narrow hallway, Kintarou followed behind Tsunade as she led the way out of the holding cells.

"Hokage-sama," Kintarou started. "Do you think he was telling the truth?"

Tsunade sighed. "It's hard to say for certain. If he was hired by the Sound, then it's hard to take anything he says as fact. However, your friend hasn't exactly been forthcoming with information about his whereabouts during the past two years."

Kintarou nodded. "That is true, but I cannot think of a reason why the Sound would want him dead."

"Your report mentions you fought with four Sound shinobi on that mission to Earth Country," Tsunade recalled. "Assuming they returned to their village, it's fair to say that someone there knows who Takeo is, or at least enough of what he looks like to put out an accurate description in a bounty."

"I suppose so," Kintarou conceded as the two of them ascended a flight of stairs.

"In any case, you should return to your duties," Tsunade advised him. "If I hear anything of interest from Ibiki regarding that Cloud shinobi, I'll send for you."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kintarou nodded. "I would appreciate that very much."

"It's not as a favor," she quickly clarified. "Depending on what he tells us, you and your team may be needed for a mission."

"Of course," Kintarou replied. "I would be honored to accept it, whatever it is."

"Good," Tsunade said. "Then you're dismissed for the moment."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Kintarou was gone in a flash, leaping high in the air and dashing across rooftops. Tsunade sighed, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. A sudden burst of gray smoke surprised her, as did the anxious voice of the ANBU kunoichi that appeared within it.

"Hokage-sama!"

"Again?" Tsunade muttered. "What is it?"

Before she could respond, the ANBU collapsed to her knees. Tsunade instinctively bent down to examine her and noticed several splotches of blood and dirt staining her uniform.

"What happened?" Tsunade asked hurriedly.

The kunoichi steadied herself and rose to her feet again. "We have a situation…"

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Before she had realized what she was doing, Jana found herself upstairs in her and her father's kitchen, making tea. She hadn't even collected her thoughts when the water on the stove began to boil. She poured the hot liquid into a small sapphire-colored kettle, which she carefully placed alongside a matching set of cups. Tea in hand, the girl proceeded slowly down the stairs back into the front of the apothecary. Though she kept her eyes locked to the tray in her hands, Jana could tell her father and Takeo still hadn't moved. Taking a few steps towards the empty space between them, she laid the tray atop the nearby counter. As she took a deep, nervous breath, she couldn't help but notice the fragrant odors of persimmon, honeysuckle, and jasmine persisted well after Takeo had dropped the five boxes he'd been carrying for her, releasing the aromas of the herbs within. The lingering stench of fertilizer and mulch was nearly masked by the combination of smells, making the atmosphere within the small herb shop somewhat refreshing. It also made a handy excuse for Jana to interrupt the deathly silence that had overtaken the store since Takeo and Ren had stood face-to-face for the first time in two years.

"Sheesh." she mumbled, trying to feign a smile. "I told you to be careful with my stuff…man, I'm glad I made you come along. If those are ruined, you're paying for them, you know?"

Jana quickly bent down beside Takeo and started gathering up the exposed plants, trying to rewrap the herbs in a moistened cloth. Her hands, however, were still shaking, making the menial task more difficult than it should. As her trembling hands reached for a small pile of foxglove, a second hand slowly intercepted it. Jana glanced up, seeing Takeo trying to help her pick up after his mess.

"Th-Thanks," she said quietly.

"It was my fault, anyway," Takeo replied, not lifting his eyes from the floor.

"Y-Yeah, it was," Jana laughed forcefully, moving to her feet. "Then I'll leave the rest to you. Dad, would you like some tea?"

Taking the man's silence for a yes, Jana hurriedly poured Ren and herself a cup of the warm brew. She handed a cup to her father, and the older man's soiled fingers gradually wrapped around the small ceramic container. Ren brought the edge of the cup to his lips, slurping in a tiny bit of tea.

"Just the way you like it," Jana smiled convincingly.

"Thank you, Jana," Ren said appreciatively, ending his silence.

Hearing Ren's voice, Takeo finished repackaging most of the herbs on the floor and stood back up to face the man. Their eyes met briefly, before both men looked away. Jana kept darting her eyes back and forth between them, occasionally stealing long, curious glances at Takeo. Finally, after consuming nearly most of his tea, Ren collected himself enough to step forward. The gray-haired man stopped within a foot of Takeo, and then slowly extended a hand out. Takeo looked awkwardly at the wrinkled and calloused hand before hesitantly reaching out and grasping it with his own. As the two shook hands, Ren stepped closer, placing his other hand along Takeo's shoulder.

"I-I can't believe you're alive," he said, trying to keep calm. "After what…what happened on that cliff…it's a miracle."

Takeo remained despondent, taking his hand back.

"And Kintarou-san and Kaori-san…they were so distraught," Ren continued. "As was I. All of us lost someone then, and…but now, here you are. I'm sure they're so relieved, as are your parents."

"Yeah, they were," Takeo responded.

"So it is you," Jana said excitedly, losing her nerves. "Then if you're okay, does that mean Nanami is okay, too? Is she here in Konoha with you?"

Takeo sighed, looking at the young woman with an empty expression. "What happened back then wasn't a miracle. I got lucky…Nanami didn't. I'm sorry…if I could trade places with her I would, but…"

Jana's momentary enthusiasm vanished. The young woman tried to collect herself, lowering her head to avoid showing the disappointment on her face. Through the long strands of light blonde hair that slid down over her ears and across her cheeks, Takeo saw the glistening of tears. His hands clenched into fists, smearing the bit of dirt his fingertips had collected from gathering up the herbs.

"I didn't mean to bring up painful memories," he said forcibly.

"It's okay, Takeo-san," Ren said, moving closer to Jana and rubbing a soiled hand tenderly on her head. "And you shouldn't concern yourself with feeling guilty about _her_…you tried to save her, right? And you did save Jana and I. The only one's who should feel responsible about Nanami are those Sound ninjas, right?"

Takeo turned his head, surprised to see an understanding smile on the old man's face. Though he also saw the hint of sadness in Ren's eyes.

"R-Right," he nodded.

"Good," Ren responded. "I think we should put that aside…we can't change the past after all. Jana, if you're feeling better, I'd really like another cup of that delicious tea."

Jana tilted her eyes up towards her father, her expression slowly brightening. "Sure thing. Um…do you want some, Takeo?"

Startled, Takeo rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. "Sure."

Jana smiled in response and went to work filling the other cups on her tray. As she set aside her father's cup, she and the others were startled by the sound of the front door sliding open, and by the sight of the kunoichi that stepped inside. Quickly noticing Jana preparing the tea at the counter, Kaori started towards her.

"Hey, Jana-chan," Kaori waved. "I just wanted to grab my—"

She stopped when she realized who else was standing around her.

"Takeo-kun?" she said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Takeo frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "Long story…"

"Takeo-san happened upon Jana in the streets," Ren informed her, waving a quick hello. "He was kind enough to help her with some heavy boxes that I had ordered."

"I…I see," Kaori smiled, glancing around at Jana and then back at Ren. "And everything's okay?"

"I suppose so," Ren replied. "Why do you ask?"

Kaori anxiously looked away, eyeing Takeo for a moment. "No reason…"

"So you probably want your stuff, right?" Jana said as she handed her father and Takeo a cup of tea. "It's ready whenever you want…Dad and I can put it together in a few minutes."

"That would be great," Kaori affirmed. "I'd like to have everything before I leave tomorrow."

Jana nodded in agreement. "Give us a minute, then. Dad, come on…"

Ren sipped a bit of tea from his cup, and then gently set atop one of the small shelves affixed to the wall nearby. "Okay, okay."

Ren followed his daughter to the back of the store. As their faint voices drifted in from the hallway, Takeo and Kaori glanced at one another. Picking at some lint along the end of her top, Kaori raised an eyebrow as she noticed Takeo move over near the door.

"Leaving?" she asked.

"Hopefully," Takeo sighed. "I was supposed to be home resting, remember?"

"Has it been that bad?" Kaori inquired.

"What, being here?" Takeo responded. "I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to seeing Ren-san again."

"Because of his other daughter?" Kaori guessed.

Takeo nodded as he leaned back against the door.

"That's not your fault, you know?" Kaori said with concern.

"Yeah," he replied. "Ren-san said the same thing. And I know what happened at that plateau wasn't my fault…"

"But?" Kaori frowned.

"But after that…" Takeo started, staring intently at the ground.

Kaori inched closer, studying his face. "What happened after that?"

Though she could see the remorse in his eyes, Takeo remained steadfast and stoic in his expression, turning away from her.

"Nothing…just leave it alone," he said flatly.

"Are you sure there's nothing—"

"No," Takeo quickly said, not letting her finish.

Kaori frowned, sadly stepping away. "All right."

After a few more gloomy seconds, Jana and Ren returned from the back of the shop, each carrying a several small packages.

"Here you go," Jana smiled, handing over her stack to Kaori.

"Thank you," she replied, sliding the pack from her shoulder.

"Everything should be here," Ren said as he helped her arrange the items in her backpack. "I even threw in an extra few doses of that salve you like so much."

Kaori nodded as she zipped up her pack. "You always throw in something extra. I'm surprised you make any money."

Ren chuckled, wiping his hands. "You're my best customer and you also helped save my life remember? I think that deserves some kind of discount or special deal, don't you?"

Kaori shook her head. "Maybe. But how am I going to feel when you go out of business because of these special deals?"

"Won't happen, Kaori-chan," Jana grinned. "Dad likes to be modest, but we've got enough business with the hospital alone to make good money. Hey, that reminds me, how much do I owe you for this afternoon?"

Kaori looked away, her face growing slightly red. "Ah…um, Kintarou and I aren't sure if we still want to get together."

"What?" Jana said with surprise. "But it was your idea, remember? Did something happen with…"

Jana followed Kaori's eyes towards Takeo. "Oh…well, I'll be here if you guys change your minds."

Ren glanced over at Takeo, who looked back at him with an equally confused look.

"Well, I should be going," Kaori said anxiously moving to the door.

"So should I," Takeo quickly added.

Ren and Jana frowned.

"Are you sure you can't stay, Takeo-san," Ren inquired. "We'd really it if you'd join us for lunch. And I know Jana would appreciate it, too."

"Please," Jana smiled. "It's not like everyone gets a chance to talk to the person who saved their life."

"Sorry," Takeo said as he turned, grabbing the door handle. "I really need to get some rest."

Before Ren or Jana could reply, Takeo had opened the door and was already on his way. Kaori frowned as she followed him with her eyes.

"He's still really tired," Kaori suggested, trying to apologize for him. "I'm sure by tonight he'll be more like himself."

"Tonight?" Jana questioned.

"Oh, that's right," Kaori started. "I forgot to mention the other reason I dropped by. His family wanted to make sure you two were coming to the ceremony tonight."

"Well, we'd be honored," Ren smiled. "But may I ask why they're holding a ceremony if Takeo-san is back home and well?"

"It's not that kind of ceremony anymore," Kaori grinned. "Just come to my family's restaurant at eight, okay?"

"As you wish," Ren nodded. "Jana?"

"We'll be there," she affirmed.

"Great," Kaori said, moving to the door. "Then I'll see you two later."

Waving, Kaori stepped outside amidst the goodbyes from Ren and Jana. Securing the pack around her shoulders, she started off. As she crossed the street and began the trek towards her home, she spotted Takeo's sullen form walking in the distance. Hesitantly, she hurried over and fell in stride beside him.

"Hey," she said.

Takeo kept his eyes on the ground. "What do you want, Kaori?"

Kaori scowled. "Right now I want you to quit being such an ass. I thought you lost your attitude when you left the Hokage's office this morning."

Takeo slowed, mumbling to himself as he rubbed his eyes. "Look…no, you're right. I'm sorry, okay? I just really need to get home and get some sleep."

"First, it's not okay," Kaori replied, moving around in front of him. "I don't like seeing you act like a brooding jerk…I'd rather see you act like the cheerful and confident jerk you used to be."

Takeo glanced over, trying to suppress a grin. Kaori caught it and smiled as well.

"And second," she continued. "I think if there's something that's bothering you, you should talk to someone about it. Keigo-san, Tsunade-sama, Kintarou-kun, me…we all want to help, you know that, right?"

"I know," Takeo answered, stuffing his hands into his jacket. "But I really don't want to talk about anything else now, okay? Especially after talking with Ren-san again."

"Are you still feeling guilty about Nanami?"

Takeo cringed as that name rolled from Kaori's lips. He uneasily pulled a hand from his pocket, running it through his disheveled hair. Without thinking, he slowly lowered it to the scar below his eye.

"Does it hurt?" Kaori asked, noticing his preoccupation with it. "I can fix it if you want? Should only take a few minutes."

"No," Takeo quickly responded. "It's fine, it doesn't hurt."

Kaori frowned. "How'd you get that anyway? By the looks of it, you're lucky to still have your eye."

Any progress Kaori had made in trying to get Takeo to open up was erased, as he quickly increased his pace.

"Takeo-kun?"

"I'm going home," Takeo said sternly, not looking back. "Bye, Kaori."

Kaori watched, silently cursing at both herself and Takeo.

"Please snap out of it, Takeo-kun," she whispered, reluctantly heading home in the opposite direction.

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_Startled by the chilling and agonizing cries echoing around the darkened cave, he finally regained consciousness. Dazed and slightly disoriented, he found himself lying uncomfortably on his back, the right side of his face almost adhered to the ground in a mixture of blood, dirt, and dead bits of grass. His right eye, too, was covered by the dried crimson liquid, making it even harder to discern where he was. Then he heard the screaming again. It was louder this time, filled with greater despair and sadness. He forced himself to his knees, grimacing and clutching at the deep gash along his ribs. Pulling at the bottom of his torn black shirt, he wiped away the blood from his eye and the side of his face. Much of his brown hair had been matted to his cheek, and still remained clumped together as he yanked the tangled strands away from his face. Hurriedly feeling around inside the pouch around his waist, his expression hardened as he found his last kunai. Shakily, he rose to his feet. With a silent prayer, he started forward, stumbling along the uneven surface of the cave floor, until the desperate cries from the young girl suddenly stopped. Standing in the pitch-black of the dank and dreary cavern, he could hear nothing. The silence was deafening, and made his heart stop. _

"_No…" he mumbled, seething and tightening his grip around the blade in his hand._

_He kept his ears open, wanting to hear something that would prove there was still life left in that girl. But again he heard nothing, except the crackling sounds of his own shallow breathing. Lowering his head, he angrily threw his kunai into the shadows, hearing it clang off of the cave wall several feet away._

"_No!"_

"No!"

Awakened and out of breath, Takeo jumped from his bedroll. Glancing around, he quickly regained his senses. Rubbing a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, he lowered himself back onto his bed and longingly stared out the lone window in his room. As he watched the sun begin to fall towards the horizon, he found himself tracing over the scar around his eye and nose.

"I'm sorry," he whispered guiltily as he closed his eyes, trying to forget those cries from the shadows.

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From the sky, the cries of startled sparrows resonated as the sun slowly disappeared into the depths behind the trees. Illuminated by the pale glow of twilight, several black-clad figures lay motionless within the shadows of the forest underbrush. Worn shuriken, chipped kunai blades, and bloodstained katana lay scattered between them, remnants of a disastrous battle. A sharp, unsettling wind suddenly whipped through the early evening air, rustling the leaves in the forest canopy as well as the clumps of crimson-colored grass spread over the ground. From atop one of the shorter elms nearby, a tall, longhaired silhouette surveyed the carnage. Glancing down at the base of the tree, the man watched as a second, lankier body emerged from a hole in the earth. A third quickly appeared beside him, stepping out from the shade and revealing the heavy, over-sized cloak masking his appearance. The second man tapped against the trunk of the tree, looking up briefly.

"Satisfied?" he muttered.

The taller man refused to acknowledge him, keeping his emerald-colored eyes locked to the field of dead bodies below. After a few seconds of silence, the man stepped from his perch on the highest branch. A loud crunch accompanied the sound of his feet hitting the ground as he landed gracefully on the forest floor below. Looking down, the man smiled. The white, wooden mask underneath his sandals had shattered upon his landing, losing its dog-like shape. Staring at the broken pieces, the man chuckled to himself as he kicked several of the larger fragments towards the dead ANBU a few feet away. He moved slowly through the maze of corpses, entranced by the anguish and pain etched into the faces of the lifeless victims. Noticing the warm and pleasant smiles on the pair of females lying comfortably in the center of the mess, the taller man sighed. Stepping beside them, he nudged the younger of the two with his foot, causing her to groggily lift her head. The older girl awoke as well, gradually rising to her feet along with her companion. The other two men soon joined the three, and together the five calmly started out of the forest.

"That was fun," the older of the girls yawned, brushing her cherry hair from her face.

"You said it, onee-chan!" the younger replied cheerily.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," the taller man said as the quintet emerged into a small clearing, allowing the pale moonlight to radiate off the ivory locks hanging around his scarred head. "If everything goes as we hope, we'll be having even more fun."

"Sir?" the lanky man started.

The taller man smiled, his metal-lined teeth glistening brightly. "An old acquaintance of ours has gone home. But if things fall into place, he'll soon be coming out to play…"

Eerie, earsplitting laughter sounded through the area as the five marched ahead, back into the shadows beneath the trees.


End file.
